Insanity's End?
by Ranma-sensei
Summary: This was some mess, this marriage! What will Akane do to Ranma? And better yet, will Ranma and Akane ever get married? And will the insanity around them stop if they do? ... Nah!
1. Zettai?

"Itte kima-su!"

Ranma and Akane took off toward school, leaving their fathers brooding at what to make of their weak excuse for a fight just a minute ago.

**Insanity's End?**

A Ranma ½ FanFic by Ranma-sensei

**Legal Disclaimer:**

The Ranma ½ cast are property of Takahashi Rumiko-sensei, Kitty, Shogakukan, Viz, and some other companies, and are used for entertainment purposes only. I'll return them… Wonder if they'll be upset if I keep Akane.

Let's get this story started:

Chapter 1: 絶対?

On their way to school, Ranma and Akane kept silent. This wasn't so unusual, but they didn't seem to be angry. That is, not counting the occasional flicker of dark blue around Ranma. Additionally, Ranma didn't run on the fence, but instead next to Akane. And he had his reasons for that…

_I am such an idiot! Why didn't I tell her that I love her? She had even prepared the ground for me, told me that she didn't mind, because I love her! I can admit that much, now._

…_But, maybe she just agreed to the marriage because of the Nan-nī-chuan! For I could be cured!_

…_Yeah, sure! Akane would marry me just to help me! HA! I believe she'd do a hell of a lotta stupid things, but she ain't __THAT__ dumb. Oh, Akane… What should I do? I'm messin' up chance after chance ta tell ya how much I like you. Hell, even at Jusendō, and back there I thought you were dead! Just how could you love __ME__?_

_No, I mustn't even think that! I love her! And I will protect her, whatever may happen! I don't wanna see anything like Jusenkyō or Jusendō ever again. I really thought I'd lost her… I don't know what I'd do without her…_

_I will protect you, Akane! I won't let anything happen to ya again! Nobody will EVER hurt you! That fence may be great training, but if I ever fall into the canal, I won't be able to reach you in time when there's danger. I WILL protect your life, even if I hafta give mine!_

But Ranma wasn't the only one thinking about the last days' events:

_Yes!! That's a good sign! He's running by my side. Oh, I hope I didn't upset him too much with what I said yesterday… 'You love me'! What a great way to answer him! Oh, Akane no baka! Why wouldn't I admit it even to myself for so long?_

_When did I realize it for the first time? Was it at the Martial Arts skating competition…?_

"**Ranma!" Tears came to Akane's eyes. "****BAKA!!****" She collapsed weeping over Ranma's unmoving body. He chose exactly **_**that**_** moment to wake up!**

"**Cut it out! Can't ya at least say 'Thank you'!?"**

Akane smiled wistfully. _Or was it much earlier? Maybe… Maybe it was at our first real meeting…?_

**Only a towel in her hands, and her long hair falling straight down her bare back, Akane opened the door to the bathroom. And there was ... a man in the furo! She looked him once up, then down. It was then she realized something seemed off. She closed the door, redressed herself and left the changing room. She then took a deep breath and...**

"**IIIYYAAAAAAAAA!!"**

Akane grinned wryly. _If I __EVER __tell him that …_

She sobered. _Never again! I must profess my feelings for him. But… How? If Nabiki gets the wind of it, then… Oohhh, I don't wanna even imagine! And our fathers… they would've got us hitched within 24 hours. _Akane sighed._ The more as they'd only have to trick Ranma. And as much as I'd like it, he --_

Ranma's rising aura interrupted her thoughts. He snarled something sounding like "Kunō!", and then he was ten meters ahead of her.

_What the…?_

As always, Tatewaki Kunō had taken up his post at the gates and was waiting for the two, his bokutō at the ready. "Saotome, prepare to die!" With those words he attacked Ranma.

Usually, Ranma had sent him to dreamland with just a kick.

Usually. But not today!

"Kunō!" Ranma's anger shot forth, a dark blue fire bursting into flames and blazing around him.

The Samurai only struck once. Then he felt a stinging sensation in his hands, and the bokutō clattered to the floor.

"Saotome!" cried a terrified, yet scandalized Kunō as he saw his bokutō burst into flames. His hands were working at his sides.

Ranma stepped close up to Kunō and hissed with an icy voice, so much different than his aura: "Kunō-sempai. Stop by our house with a katana again, and your weapon is the least of your worries. You could have hurt Akan- somebody there!" Kunō shuddered at the chill running up his spine.

Akane, who had come closer, couldn't help but smile at hearing those words.

"But I must save fair maiden Tendō Akane and my osage no onna from your spell. That's what I, Kunō Tatewa--"

"Kunō-sempai!" Kunō _and_ Ranma both started. "I am under no spell. What--"

"Oh, how his spell afflicts you so! I mus--"

"STAY OUT OF OUR LIFE, JACKASS!!" Whamm!!

"What do you think?" asked Hiroshi, who stood off to the side.

"This time he reached higher earth orbit." commented Daisuke, shading his eyes and trying to calculate the ending point of Kunō's trajectory. "Crap! I should've placed a bet. He's really going down in central Tokyo."

"Hey, willya listen!? I meant what she said!"

"…Oh! Oh well, 'bout time one of them started. But, still…"

Akane stood in the courtyard, her fist hovering where moments before there had been Kunō's face.

"Mō! When does that jerk finally get it? Am I not being clear enough, or--" Just then the bell rang. "Damn, we're gonna be late! C'mon, Ranma!"

As he ran into the building right after Akane, Ranma _began_ to realize what had just happened. Eventually, however…

_Damn! That wasn't helpful at all! …What should I do? This is killing me! …I must tell her, even if she laughs at me. But, how am I supposed to do that, with Nabiki around?_

* * *

_"Hi, Ran-chan." greeted Ukyō cautiously. "How ya do... -in'?" Ranma had turned away from her in mid-sentence, and walked off, a sour expression stuck on his face._

"Ak..." Ukyō stopped. Akane had turned away, too, and stalked after Ranma.

Ukyō seemed to be on the verge of tears, but suddenly her expression grew grim.

* * *

English with chibi Hinako-sensei.

Everything went as usual. Miss Hinako dropped off in her own class, the students chattered away and Ranma threw Akane a message. But this time…

* * *

Akane,

meet me on the roof for lunch-break.

Ranma

* * *

_I don't understand. What's does he want? Ranma, wh--_

"Nē, Akane-chan, what's up?" It was Yuka and Sayuri, who had noticed that Ranma **a)** was still conscious, and **b)** didn't sport a single lump by now.

Shocked to death, Akane hid the note in her desk. "Wh-wha-what… do you mean?"

"Stop pretending! You just looked totally thunderstruck when you read Ranma's note."

"Well… you know…" Akane tried to look angry, "… the baka just found another name to call me."

"Sō da ne, Akane-kun? And why is he still in one piece, then?"

"Yeah, Akane. Why isn't he all dented, already?"

"Well, um…" A frightful look shortly crossed Akane's expression. _Oh damn, they've got me!_ "For this he must suffer?"

Yuka nodded slowly, her closed eyes and crossed arms saying _'Better…'_.

"Hitting him only works until he wakes up, you know. But at lunch-time… Then I've got plenty of time to take care of him."

"Whatever you say, Akane-kun." Sayuri winked at her, "Let him have it." With that, the two returned to their desks.

Akane, her face beet-red and her hands still under the desk holding the note, let out a breath. _Damn! Damn, damn, damn, damn! I should've been more prepared for this; they just know me too well… _She shook her head._ Oh well, at least I can rely on them being discreet._

"Hey, Ranma! Boy, what didya do?"

"Huh?"

"I mean, what didya write that she han't knocked ya out, already?"

"Why, this and that, Hiroshi. And to why I'm still alive: I don't know. To be honest, I had already finished with life." Ranma shrugged. "But I probably won't have to wait too long to find out, why."

"You betcha, Ranma." commented Daisuke.

"Huh?" Ranma did a double-take at Hiroshi's grin. _…Just great! I hope those two can keep their mouths shut. It's bad enough with Nabiki listening in. I sure don't need Kunō or some other idiots butting in!_

As the morning went by, nothing _too_ abnormal happened: Ranma dropped off and Miss Hinako drained him; Happōsai paid a visit to the girl's volleyball team (and their panties); and Kunō-kōchō got pounded into the ground. Just normal conditions (at Fūrinkan kōkō).

And then, lunch-time came…

* * *

"Well, Ranma: What do you want?"

"Uh, well… Akane, I wanted…" Ranma was so nervous he could only stutter.

"Now spit it out! Or do you have good cause for being so nervous!?" There was a definite note of anger in Akane's voice now. "If it's another fiancée, I'll kill you!"

The Tendō girl flinched almost imperceptibly. _Kami-sama, was that out loud?_

_WHAT__ did she say?!_

Nabiki was thinking the exact same thing on her end of the line.

"Uh… No, Akane. It's just… Akane, I gotta tell you somethin'! But…"

"Let me guess: Not here?" _Oh, and why would __THAT_ _be? I know at the very least one of all those eavesdroppers!_

"Y-yes. Listen: Meet me at seven o'clock, this evening, where I did IT back then."

"It?" _What does he mean?_

"Y'know, _IT_." _I just hope Nabiki doesn't have any cameras up here._ Ranma made a gesture and moved his lips.

Meanwhile, Nabiki cursed her own cheapness.

"Oh, _IT_." Akane turned a little pink. _What does he…?_ "I will be there…" After a short, embarrassed silence, she spoke again: "Can we leave now? I'm really hungry."

"Uh, sure." This being settled, Akane and Ranma left the roof. Just as they were settling down under the tree in the courtyard…

"Hey, Dais-chan, you die there or what?" Sayuri had her arms crossed while irritably tapping her foot.

"Yeah, yeah. Comin'." Finally having squeezed out of the dark corner he had been hiding in, Daisuke wandered up to his friends. "Say, why do _I_ always get the crappy places?

"Ohhh, poor Dais-chan. Come here." Sayuri patted him on the head. As he growled, the other three of them laughed out loud and started for the cafeteria.

* * *

Afternoon. Tendō-ke.

Ranma was doing some kata near the koi pond. Not, that the dōjō wouldn't have been free, it was just… Well, should anything happen to Akane, was he the fastest with her from in front of her window.

_What to do? I absolutely have to train Akane seriously, but then… I'm probably gonna hurt her. On the other hand: if I don't do it, there's a good chance that I'll lose her next time, and that … I couldn't live with. And surely not when I know that I could've done sumthin' about it! …Hell, it hurts her even more when I don't spar with her, too! And… back in Jusendō I swore not to hurt you again!_

_Aaarrghh! But I am so much better than her! I'd just injure her as long as she isn't-- _Ranma sighed sadly._ I'm doin' it again… She may not be as fast as I am, but she's incredibly strong, and I am sure that she can take much more than it seems… But, still…_ Ranma sighed again. Eventually, he started thinking about possible training methods.

_How to do that? Her anger proved to be too hard to control. Shampoo will be in real danger if I keep this up, and as unnerving as she can be, she's a friend… Ryōga? Yeah, sure! A lovelorn slave-driver is __such__ a good trainer! He'd just try to pinch her again - that is, __IF__he should manage to stay coherent for this long._ Ranma began to grin a little, but almost immediately became thoughtful again. _But then… there is only one possibility left…_ Ranma sighed sadly, again. He didn't like the decision he was about to make.

"What's this with you sighing so sadly, Ranma-kun?" Soūn wanted to know. Ranma would have jumped to the ceiling, had there been one. _Oh, right. They're here, too._

Yes, Boy. What's up?

"Well, ah… Uhm, no… Nothin', pop. Was just… thinkin'."

Whatever. Genma and Soūn resumed their game of shōgi, which Soūn won. Then they left the house taking a 'walk', which means they went on a binge.

_Phew, that was close! I shoulda really paid more attention. Hope I didn't think out loud… So, where was I…? _Ranma thought for a while, more pacing through the yard than actually training. When Kasumi walked by and said something, he just nodded, not really hearing her words of "Please be so kind and take care of everything while I'm shopping, would you, Ranma-kun?" Before she was even gone, he had started pacing again.

_Hm, that's the best thing I can think of. But still, how to tell her? The last time I did sumthin' similar, she looked at me as if I was an alien. Okay, I called her cute for the first time, but this one's not goin' ta be different. 'cept…_

Ranma's face lit up. '_cept if I tell her--_

"Ranma! Prepare to DIE!" Ryōga had just jumped the wall (to everyone's surprise not losing his way in mid-flight), and attacked.

"Hi, P-chan!" Ranma dodged out of his groove, and landed close to the koi pond. "Howdya do that? Just one day, this time…" He tiredly crossed his arms. "What's it today?"

"THAT, you know exactly!" snarled Ryōga, ripping off several of his bandannas and hurling them at Ranma. "You didn--"

"RYŌGA-KUN!!" shouted Akane, who had come out to investigate the noise. Ducking two of his bandannas, she yelled at him again: "Why are you attacking Ranma!!"

Ryōga, going into shock, started backtracking. "I, ah, well, so…" _What's going on here?! She always blamed him. But now she blames me, after all he has done to her! Oh, why is life so unfair? Where I just wanted to punish him fo-- _Just then, Ryōga stumbled over one of the stones around the koi carp pond.

_Oh no, the pond! Akane will see how I transform, and then she'll… _At that point, Ryōga's imagination sprang in:

"**YOU!!" Akane is standing over Ryōga, mallet in hand, looking like an angel of vengeance and screaming like a banshee. "You slept in my bed! You GROPED me!! You saw me NAKED!! YOU WILL DIE!!" Swings her mallet and hits Ryōga squarely from above. He is embedded two feet into the ground, arms and legs akimbo.**

"Ryōga-kun! Watch out!"

With a loud splash, Ryōga joined the carp in the pond.

Akane's cry mobilized Ranma, who too had gone into shock at hearing her yelling at Ryōga. Hastily, he said: "Akane, I think Kasumi is calling you!"

"But--"

"Don' worry! I'll take care of Ryōga! And now hurry!"

"…O-… kay." Akane reluctantly returned into the house. _What is he up to? Kasumi can't possibly have called me. She left half an hour ago. Didn't he get that?_ _And why doesn't he want me to stay? Why shouldn't I go and help Ryōga out of the wa-… -ter? _Akane stopped, examining one of Ryōga's bandannas, which she had ducked earlier, hanging in the wall. She pulled it out, held it in her hand and began brooding, continuing on into the living room.

_Ryōga and… water? Almost every time I saw him, he was wet, but only once I saw him __GET wet__…! _Akane pulled a face. _Well, with cold water, that is… But this one time… Ranma attacked him for… _Akane stopped, taking her chin in one hand and staring intently at the bandanna in her other._ What was it, again…?_

Her head snapped up in sudden realization. _A waterproof soap! But, that would mean…_ Her eyes spoke of betrayal, and she closed her hand tightly around the bandanna. _That he…_ Akane wanted to scream at the idea. She fired the bandanna to the floor and stomped on it.

_Ranma always calling him-- NO, that cannot be! It __MUST NOT__ be!_ Akane was on the brink of just going back and maiming everybody in range. _No! I need to know first!_ She vanished into the shadows, the light slowly returning to the spot she had just been in.

* * *

In the meantime, Ranma had pulled Ryōga and his clothes out of the pond. Carrying them to the bathroom, he continuously muttered something about "Pathetic pig-boys" and "Lucky P-brains".

As he went into the inner bathroom, he missed a shadow slipping into the outer.

_No, this must be some joke on Ranma's behalf! Yes, that's it! Ranma knows that I am following him_ - Akane opened the shōji a crack wide - _and that's why he--_ What she saw, let her face fall…

"Well, Ryōga…" Ranma let P-chan fall into the warm waters of the furo, and the transformation started immediately. "Whatcha attack me for this time?"

_P-chan… is… Ryōga? Ryōga!? RYŌGA!! I'll kill him!! I'll kill Ra-- __**NO!**_ Akane stopped herself, just now getting that she was again summoning her rage. _For once in my life, I will listen! Ranma always complains that I jump to conclusions; that I never listen him out before I hit him… Not this time! This time I WILL listen! Besides…_ A slight, but very evil, smile crossed Akane's lips. _I can still beat him to a pulp, afterwards._

"You know that exactly, Ranma! You didn't marry Akane yesterday!" Akane boggled at hearing those words. "You hurt her feelings, you--"

"Oi! Hold it right there! I can't deny I didn't act right, especially when I heard about the Nan-nī-chuan, but it wasn't all my fault!" Ryōga looked him over flat-eyed, arms crossed, and didn't say a word. Ranma sighed.

"Yeah, okay, most of it was. But Kunō wanted to literally have a piece of me, Ukyō…" Ranma's face darkened at the mention of her name, "let me test her new gunpowder okonomiyaki, and Shampoo had some… special... niko-man with her…! And you - just to remind you! - were the one calling 'Nan-nī-chuan', and YOU also did participate in the fight! So--" Suddenly, Ranma's eyes crossed in mid-sentence.

"WHAT did you just say?!" Ranma felt his rival's forehead. "Ryōga, are you okay? I thought you wanted to win Akane for yourself?!"

_He wanted to-- Goodness! All those times Ranma… And P-chan always…_

"Well, you know…" Ryōga, still sitting in the furo, started poking his fingertips together. "I came to realize that I don't stand a chance with Akane… You remember our fight when I had learned the full power Shi Shi Hōkōdan?"

Akane's attention was now fully riveted to Ryōga. Meanwhile, she was trying to remember what could have changed Ryōga's mind.

"Yeah. But what does that have to do with it?" Ranma looked at him blankly.

_Oops! _Akane suddenly remembered._ I told him without even knowing. _She winced a little embarrassedly.

"Oh man, how dumb can you be?" muttered Ryōga. Ranma glared at him indignantly.

_You wouldn't believe it, anyway. _Akane managed not to say that one out loud.

"Calm down, I'll tell you." Ryōga waved him off. "Remember when she said she didn't hate me?" Ranma nodded gravely, his expression darkening again. "She said: 'Let's be friends forever.' You know what that means, right?"

Ranma still hadn't got it. Ryōga sighed deeply. "Come here." Ranma leaned down, and Ryōga whispered something into his ear. "Get it now?" He looked up and almost _saw_ the lightbulb starting to glow.

"And… After that, I could only hope for something to happen, so Akane would fall in love with me. But then, when I fell in love with Akari, I guess that goal somehow lost its worth." Ryōga looked down into the waters of the furo. "Besides, there is something that binds you to Akane; that would kill you, internally, should she be killed."

"Huh?" _Could he know?_ Ranma was speechless.

"Everything you did in Jusendō, was for Akane. When you wanted to save her life, you even…"

**Akane had somehow managed to heat up her ice-covered body, and - after leaving Ranma's shirt - ripped a passage through Saffron's Tenka Shunmetsu Kōkyūdan, that prevented Ranma from seeing his enemy.**

"**I CAN SEE HIM!!" shouted Ranma.**

"**FOOLISH WOMAN!! How many times do you want to die!? My blast shall incinerate you!" Saffron was **_**pissed**_**. This... This... pig-tailed devil had caused his metamorphosis to be incomplete! Therefore he would kill him. But, first this obstacle… the woman who just wouldn't die, would finally be destroyed.**

_**Not in this lifetime, bastard!**_** Ranma took a big swing: "Hiryū Shōten Ha revised!" He punched down into the passage Akane had ripped open. The ice surrounding his arm shattered. **_**Go, ice dragon!**_** "****HIRYŪ HYŌTOPPA!!****"**

"**NOOO…!!****" A small tornado, about one meter in diameter, hit Saffron directly. He fell toward earth, his body partly covered in ice.**

_**Bu… But I'm… I am… immortal…**_

_Yes, he killed Saffron. He gave up his… innocence… Just to save me! Oh, Ranma…_ A single tear rolled down Akane's cheek.

"…And before that, when Akane had just disappeared in a flash of light… You just stood there, staring at her clothes in your arms, so I…" Ryōga clenched his fist and looked up at Ranma, tears in his eyes. "I did what I thought was Akane's last wish: I got you to safety…" Ryōga looked down into the furo again, shaking slightly.

When he had calmed down again, he continued, softly: "Ranma. In Jusendō I came to realize that I don't even know what love means! Yes, I felt a deep sadness, but... The only one being hurt this much by Akane's seeming death… was you, Ranma."

_Ranma…_ Akane had to fight hard for her not to start sobbing. What she had just overheard brought back too many memories that she had wanted to bury.

"Ryōga, I…" Ranma trailed of, unable to think of something to say.

"And after that I just wanted Akane to be happy." The one being referred to perked up a little. "Really, I know that it was Nabiki who invited all those people…"

Akane nodded gravely, anger shortly flickering through her sadness.

"…but then I would have had to admit I made mistakes, too. After all, I was one of those blasting your wedding ceremony before it even started - even though I just accidentally broke down your wall. But, I wasn't ready for such a confession; not even to myself." Ryōga remained silent for a moment. "Ranma, I… I am sorry, Ranma. I shouldn't have blamed you for it…"

"I know that you could have exposed my secret a thousand times and more; and even though you tried it some of those many times, you helped me just about as often, when I almost blew my cover myself."

_He tried…? But then… Back then, in my room…_ Akane blushed deep red. Not because of what she had thought then what Ranma's intentions were, but because of what she had done to him as a result of those thoughts: She had broken some things over his head, from her shinai up to her swivel-chair.

"But there's one thing I want to know: Why didn't you ever tell Akane? You know just as well as I do - well, at least, since I can admit it to myself - that there was no way in hell anyone could've blamed you for telling Akane. Especially seeing as I let myself be taken to Akane's bedroom. So, why?"

_Blamed?_ Suddenly it dawned on Akane. _Damn those warriors' codes, and damn Ranma! He should have told me!_ She was getting _really_ mad now.

"You mean, besides Akane pounding me into the earth for talking bad about Ryōga, or P-chan?" Ryōga nodded at that.

Akane bit her lower lip.

"Well, you know…" Now it was Ranma's turn poking his index fingers together. "When Akane was sad, she would hold P-chan; she then seemed to feel better. He seemed to be an anchor in all this insanity - and you know exactly who attracts that like a magnet…"

_Anchor!? Sad!! ME!!_ Akane relaxed her jaw and sighed softly._ He's right. I was really clutching at a straw when I cuddled P-chan._ Akane's eyes became wet again. _Oh, Ranma…_

"Besides: You seemed to be happy, as well. Even if you knew that Akane would never see anything but a pet in you: You needed the affection. Yo--"

"What are you babbling about!?" Ryōga asked irritably. I don't need no aff-..."

* * *

Akane didn't hear any more. She had left the bathroom, and slowly made her way upstairs. Her cheeks were damp. She was badly in need of some time alone, to digest some of the things she had just found out about.

Akane quietly closed the door to her room. Then, leaning against it, she slowly slid down it to the floor. Already having lost her fight against the tears, she just sat there, weeping softly.

_All this time all Ranma did was try to protect me. And what did I do? I picked on him all the time! I even called him a pervert for it! Who's the real pervert? I even slept with a guy other than my own fiancé! Oh, how could he love ME? I am jealous, brutal, don't listen him out-- Gods, he must HATE me!_ The girl's breath caught, and her weeping turned to sobbing.

_No!_ Akane tried to will the tears away, having moderate success. _I MUST NOT think that! Considering what happened, he MUST have some feelings for me…!_ She frowned sadly. _At least I hope…_

…_Okay! From now on, I'll always listen him out; I will trust him; and I WILL NOT hit him again!!_

This (rather dubious) vow pledged, Akane rubbed at her damp cheeks with one hand, and spared a glance at the clock on the shelf above her bed. Seeing as she only saw a blur, she rubbed at her eyes too, and looked again.

_Oh God!_ She jumped up. _This late already?! Oh no, oh no, oh no! Only one hour left! I need to take a bath, find some clothes, and…!_ Akane bounced about her room, hastily rummaging through her stuff.

* * *

Seven o'clock. The labyrinth's entrance.

"So, why did you want to meet me here, today?" asked Akane a little shyly. She wore the same fine costume she had worn back then.

Ranma, who too wore the same clothes (which is not saying much), was suffering a mental shutdown at the moment. The only thing circuiting, was: _Kawaiiiii!!_Unfortunately, he had missed a shadow following him all the way from the Tendō compound to the hedge-maze.

"Ranma? So, what is it?"

"Huh? Um, yeah, ah… Why don't we go in a little further, first?" Ranma shuffled a little, his hands playing with something behind his back. "Uhm, ah… You look great, Akane."

"Arigatō, Ranma." Akane smiled and Ranma's heart melted away. Once having regained his senses, he led her into the labyrinth. At a dead end, finally, they stopped, the shadow still unseen behind them.

"Akane, I…" Ranma didn't know how to start. "Ya remember what happened here?"

"H- Hai." Akane blushed deep red. _How could I forget that? You denied it so hard I knew that you meant it…_ Akane started to hope again, for the first time since the wedding attempt, that Ranma would tell her about his feelings.

"You know, Akane…" Ranma presented her with a single red rose. "I meant what I said there. I l-l-lo-" He took a deep breath, held it, and let it out in one quick sentence: "Iloveyouakane!" The color of his face now matched the rose's.

Akane's eyes had gone wide at seeing the present and starry his confession. Her expression softened and settled into a fond smile that made Ranma's heart skip a beat or two. "Baka. I love you, too." She took a step forward and hugged her fiancé, resting her head against his chest.

The shadow's eyes flew open, the tears finally overflowing. It then took off right through the hedge, a glint of steel reflecting the light of the streetlamps.

Slowly, very slowly, Ranma came out of it. He started hugging her back. "A-akane, you… you love me?"

"'course I love you!" Now that they had said them, those three words seemed so… natural.

For a long time, Ranma and Akane stood there hugging each other, Akane smiling like a maniac. Then, some time later, she pulled back a little, looked up and asked, still hugging him: "But… Why now?" _Why not yesterday?_

"Well, I…" Ranma hesitated. "I came to realize I was really bein' an idiot yesterday. I'da just had ta tell ya how I feel, but no! I just had ta pick a fight with you. Akane, I--"

"But, why me?" Akane's eyes welled up with tears. "I am jealous, prone on hitting you… Hell, I can't even cook!"

"Akane." Ranma touched his forehead to hers. "I like you just the way you are." He grinned down into her face. "Even if your cooking can kill a hor--OOOFF!! No, really. What I mean is: I don't know if I wanted you any other way. But…" He trailed off.

"What is it, Ranma?" Akane looked up at him again.

"How could you love me? You're sayin' it often enough: I am just an insensitive, sex-changin' … hentai. I got at least five fiancées, an--"

"Ranma." Akane cut him off, deciding she _had_ to tell him. She closed her eyes, trusting in the security his arms provided. "I was… afraid… and angry. I… You… When I saw you in the bathroom, back on that very first day, there were some things I… felt. For one, I really… um…" Akane was suddenly beet-red, "felt, um… aroused at... at seeing you… um, emerge from the furo. And, when I realized it wasn't a dream, I… I…" Akane let her head hang. "I'm so sorry, Ranma…"

"…Don't be." Ranma knew how _he_ had reacted to her entering the bath. "I ca--"

"And when you came out of the bathroom and introduced yourself as Saotome Ranma, I… I somehow knew that you and that girl were one and the same person. And… this thought… aroused me somewhat, too. So I got angry. And also, because I didn't expect a boy being in the furo, my sisters had seen me being afraid of someone. And, so I blamed everything on you. I… Sorry, Ranma. I am really sorry." Akane choked back a sob.

"Especially 'bout the table?" Ranma asked, grinning, but sounding serious.

Akane's head snapped up in alarm, but seeing as Ranma smiled fondly, a little smile of herself crept across her face. "Yes." she whispered. "Especially about that."

"Then why are you bein' so sad about it?" On hearing that, Akane hugged her fiancé even tighter.

"Arigatō, Ranma." She said, cuddling him. "That really means much to me."

They just stood there hugging each other for some time.

Finally, Akane made a decision…

"Ranma, I need to ask you something. Will you listen?"

"Sure." Ranma smiled reassuringly. "Shouldn't I?"

Akane shook her head smiling, and then started: "Ranma, I…" Something - Ranma couldn't quite identify it - started to burn in her eyes. "I ask you to… to train me… sensei."

Ranma reeled as if hit, and fell. Seeing as he was still hugging her, he took Akane with him.

"Ranma?" asked Akane concernedly, lying atop him.

"Huh?" Ranma looked up into her face, and a smile came to his lips. Not his cocky one, but a genuine, just plain happy smile. "Yeah, I was going to, anyway. I'm glad you mentioned it, though."

"Nani?" Akane looked at him, perplexed. "You did?"

"Yes, I…" Ranma stood up, still holding Akane tenderly. He set her down to her feet once he was standing. "You see, I had to admit that trying to keep you out of my trouble won't work…" He trailed off.

"Right." said Akane softly. "It's my trouble now, too. We are engaged, you know."

"Hell, that's not what I meant!" protested Ranma. "I--"

Akane laid a finger to his lips. "But it's what I meant." Seeing as he subsided, she removed her finger. "You see, letting me stay at home didn't do any good. They came and took me to China, anyway. And…" Her face darkened a bit. "…before then I was always afraid you might not be alive, anymore."

"Akane…" _I don't like where this is headin'._

"No, Ranma." Akane looked obstinate. "I want to be able to come with you! I don't want to stay at home, anymore! The waiting almost killed me, wondering if you'll come back; or if you're dead, just because I wasn't with you!"

"Akane…" _I ABSOLUTELY don't like where this is headin'!_

"I almost died there a couple of times! I almost died there ALONE!! I don't want that! If I d-die, I want you to be my last sight!" Akane eyes were overflowing. "Please, please promise me you'll do me this favor! I don't want to die apart from you, just because you wanted me to be safe!" Akane buried her face in her hands.

"Akane, I…" Ranma was at a loss of words. _Hell, she's right!_ His shoulders slumped. "All right, Akane. I promise. Partners, I say." He laid a hand to her cheek. "And I will train you. I don't want you to die, either, and that's the only way to assure it. I think. I HOPE."

"Oh, Ranma!" Akane, her tears still flowing, wrapped her arms around the back of Ranma's neck, pulled him down to her face, and kissed him on the lips. Ranma stiffened up.

_Akane! You… You… kissed me!_ This revelation sunk in, Ranma relaxed and kissed her back.

* * *

Eight-thirty. Tendō-ke.

Two figures, each having an arm around the other, stopped before the gates. One of them removed hers and said: "I think we have to stop that now."

"Yeah, you're right, Akane. Just…"

"Just a little longer? That's fine with me, Ranma." said Akane with a smile. Five minutes later, Ranma reluctantly let go of her, and the two of them went through the gates.

On the second floor, Kasumi smiled and closed the curtains of her room.

* * *

Saturday, lunch-time. The Tendō-ke's 2nd floor.

"Ready?" Ranma and Akane were standing at the top of the stairs.

"Not really. What if I hurt you?"

"Don't worry. I told you, I'll survive it. I don't wanna hurt you, too. But else, not even our fathers'd buy in the act."

"You're right." said Akane with a sigh. "I just don't want to do that. Anymore, that is." she added with a grin.

"I know." Ranma grinned right back.

* * *

Same time, on the first floor. Main room.

Soūn and Genma-panda were again cheating each other at their game of shōgi, when suddenly…

"What do you mean, you won't take me with you on your training trip!?

"Exactly what I said! A girl'd only be in the way! Especially you, you ditz!"

"And what if I was to cook!? I won't be in your way, and you could fully concentrate on your training!"

"An' what trainin' would that be!? 'How do I survive Akane's cooking'!? No, thanks!"

"Insensitive jerk! You could at least appreciate the effort!"

"What effort, coming from such a kawaiikunai tomboy!? Forget it!"

"RANMA NO BAKA!!" Slap!!

A little while later, Ranma came slouching into the main room, a bright red handprint on his left cheek.

"Why don't you just take Akane with you, boy?" Soūn looked him over.

"But Tendō-san, she'd just be in my way."

"DO YOU MEAN MY DAUGHTER IS A MILLSTONE AROUND YOUR NECK!!" roared Soūn's demon head, filling the whole room.

"No! No!" Ranma, having fled into the farthest-away corner, waved his free arm frantically, while with the other searching for an open end. "I'd be honored if I had her with me. But… You have to admit that her cooking is… dubious." He pointedly avoided saying the words _It's a Martial Art!_

His head shrinking back to its usual size, Soūn said: "_That_ I cannot deny, boy… HA, I've got it! Kasumi-chan will give her some extra cooking lessons. When do you two set out?"

"We?" Ranma was really playing his part well, which Soūn's head growing again proved.

"Oh! Uh, yes… WE'll set out tomorrow in the afternoon."

"Hm, this isn't much time…" Soūn stood up and walked out of the room. Genma-panda immediately used the time to move around some pieces on the board. "Oi, Kasumi!" called Soūn.

"Hai, otō-san?" Kasumi looked out of the kitchen.

"Akane will accompany Ranma on his training trip, starting tomorrow in the evening. Would you please give her some cooking lessons?"

_No!!_ Kasumi's smile faltered for but a moment. "Hai, otō-san." _She wouldn't...?_

While Soūn returned to his seat, Genma held up a sign, giving his friend the time to move some pieces himself: So, son: Don't do anything I wouldn't do.

"No fear!" Ranma shattered the sign on his father's head. "Stupid panda."

Is that a way to treat your father?

"Shaddup, oyaji!" Ranma kicked him into the pond.

This will have consequences, boy! Genma was pissed.

"C'mon! Try it, bedside rug!" Ranma's eyes spoke of pain; Genma's pain.

Uh… Genma flipped the sign. Tendō-kun, how about a drink?

"What a great idea, Saotome-kun." A dustcloud indicated the departure of the two fathers, their shōgi board still spinning in place.

* * *

The next morning saw Ranma doing some kata in the garden. However, somehow he couldn't concentrate…

"Akane, STOP!!"

"But, Kasumi onē-chan, it says here that it needs chili."

"Yes. It does, Akane-chan, but-- STOP!!"

Ranma wore a wry grin that he just couldn't get rid of; that is why he was facing the wall for quite some time now. _Akane, you're sooo cruel!_

Some time later, Soūn and Genma decided that it was a good time to push off. Ranma, however, was absolutely calm about the whole thing: _She promised she'll taste it first, so I'm sure it'll be non-toxic. But, sheesh, how the hell'd she come across motor oil in the kitchen?_

Shortly before Akane was done, Ranma's mother paid a visit and - knowing of Akane's usual 'skill' - offered her help.

Lunch went as usual when Akane had cooked: Soūn and Genma were still missing – they were surely eating at one of the local bars; Kasumi and Nodoka didn't eat much - they said they weren't hungry; Nabiki had excused herself 'for business' - she was sure to let Kunō take her to a restaurant, and _incidentally_ sell him some pictures of her younger sister and Ranma's female half; and Ranma and Akane… Well, they were fighting over the 'food'. _I somehow already missed our fights, a little._

The rest of the day was very peaceful - for a day at the Tendōs'! Even though P-chan was seen shortly walking alongside the engawa, he quickly 'disappeared', and Ryōga came in - soaking wet, as always. _Why did I never notice that? Oh well, it sure seems he's given up on me. Not that I wouldn't retaliate, anyway, but I would have liked the idea of giving P-chan a hot bath… _A grim smile crept across Akane's face.

"Akane-san, why are you smiling?" Ryōga was nervous. Akane didn't usually smile in such a fashion – at least not without having a good cause.

"Huh?"

"Ryōga wants to know why you're grinnin' so goofy."

"Ranma no baka." Akane whacked him across the back of his head with her flat hand. "Just… some thought I had." She smiled nervously. _Honestly!_ she accused herself, _There I am, a member of the drama club, and I let my part slip!_

"Uh… if you say so." Ranma's expression said: _But WHAT thought?!_ He was a lot more nervous than Ryōga, because in his opinion, there were only two possibilities for her smile:

Akane had **a)** found out about Ryōga's curse and - since she hadn't beaten either of them to a pulp, yet - was plotting her revenge; OR **b)** - as it could also have been one of grim determination - she had her own ideas about 'training'. Especially this second possibility filled him with dread.

"What's going on here?"

"Huh?" "What?" Ranma and Akane had spoken simultaneously.

"Uh… Nothing. Really." Ryōga waved them off. He hadn't even realized he was thinking out loud. _Guess I am too much alone._

"Well then…" Again an answer like one voice.

_Those two must somehow have grown closer. One time's a coincidence, two times' a pattern._

Akane and Ranma saw Ryōga's brooding, and shot each other glances saying: _He can see through our cover._ But since they didn't want to start a fight, they tried to distract him otherwise.

They didn't really need to. Ryōga already knew it was useless fighting for Akane's love because she had truly given Ranma her heart; he also knew that Ranma had given his to her. _Wasn't it this way, there'd be no way Akane could still be alive after what happened at Jusendō. Oh, if only Akari…_ Ryōga looked down a little sadly.

Kasumi scanned her little sister and Ranma for a while. Not being able to determine what _exactly_ was going on, she proceeded in her talk with auntie Nodoka. _Their relationship surely seems to have advanced; but… I sure hope they didn't do anything… inappropriate, these past few days._

* * *

Ranma and Akane had already packed their backpacks in the morning, and were now saying their goodbyes to their families.

"Take good care of Akane, my son." Nodoka was there not just to bid her son farewell, but to drag her husband, Genma's, lazy ass home, as well.

"Ranma-kun. Akane-chan." Kasumi looked worried. "Don't do anything inappropriate!" Ranma and Akane face-faulted. Of course, Kasumi would think of such things, first!

After having picked themselves up, Ranma blushed, and Akane just rolled her eyes. _So much for you trusting me, sis! Oh, well…_

Nabiki looked like she always did: just plain bored. _I wish I knew what to make of those two. I had a hard time making money off them this past week. Not to mention that weird_... _Ah, what do I care!_

"So, you two: Be okay when you come back." Soūn seemed - against all odds (the pool being held by Nabiki) - not to be in the mood for crying. Instead, he seemed rather happy.

"Akane-chan! Lemme give you a goodbye-hug!" Before Happōsai had made it even halfway to Akane's breasts, Ranma sent him straight into the stratosphere.

_Geez. That old lech just won't learn it._ Ranma lowered his fist, his expression grim.

Finally Genma - human, for a change - showed up. "As I said, boy: Don't do anything I wouldn't do."

Ranma kicked his father into the koi pond. "Dontcha mean: 'Do the opposite of ev'rythin' I'd do'?"

Come on. Stop making such a fuss. Genma flipped the sign There really isn't anything about it.

"Oh yes, there is, Saotome no ojī-san!" Kasumi was being harsh, a rare sight to the Saotomes. "They are just too young!"

A deep red Ranma and Akane quickly made their way to their backpacks, and then left. Soon they were almost out of sight.

Still waving them goodbye, Soūn asked: "Was your mission successful, Saotome-kun?"

Absolutely. Genma held up a small pack. I've got his tent.

"Otō-san! Ojī-san!" _Now_ Kasumi was angry.

"Dear!" Nodoka's voice was like steel.

The panda suddenly started to sweat.

"…Well done."

Kasumi face-faulted.

* * *

Mount Terror, some hours later.

Ranma and Akane had just stopped at the clearing Ranma had frequently used for training. They dropped their backpacks.

"So. Akane, we'll set up camp here."

After Akane had acknowledged him, they started emptying their packs.

"Say, Akane, have you seen my tent, somewhere?" Ranma had already climbed halfway into his backpack.

"Don't you play all innocent to me!" Akane said in mock anger. She was a bit surprised, that's true, but she knew very well Ranma would never even consider such a pick-up. In fact, _he would never even consider__ ANY __pick-up at all. _Akane sighed a little disappointedly.

"N- No, I'm not…" Ranma had bought into Akane's act. Often enough had she assumed he was trying to pick her up, and all that bad luck hadn't helped. "Oyaji! I knew I shoulda checked my pack! I--"

"Oh, come on…" Akane snickered a little. _They just made that one easier._ She quickly regained her composure, and said matter-of-factly: "Each of the tents is intended for at least two persons, so I don't see a problem there."

"B-but, I… I mean, we…" Ranma froze in mid-sentence. This possibility had by far exceeded his brain's computing capacity.

"Yeeees?" asked Akane with her most innocent smile.

"Weee… H- Hai." Ranma sounded rather hoarse.

They unpacked the rest of their luggage in nearly absolute silence. That is, sometimes Ranma would try to stammer something, to which Akane would just laugh out loud in response.

They finished just when the sun had set. After starting the fire, Ranma went searching for some more wood, and Akane got started cooking.

* * *

Akane handed Ranma his bowl and sat down beside him. Before he had even taken his chopsticks, she was already trying. _Oh no! The rice is all gluggy, and the curry… Hell, what is that taste?! And I tried so hard… _Akane looked sadly down at the food. _Now he'll make fun of me… again._

"Akane, this curry's great."

Akane perked up. "Really? I thought you wouldn't like it." She looked down again, "Maybe, I mean."

"Aw, c'mon, Akane. It really ain't that bad. You'll get better, you'll see." Akane started to smile at that.

"Arigatō, Ranma. But I'd never even gotten this far, if it wasn't for you."

"Oh, well…" Ranma laid one hand to the back of his head. "You see, I think you really woulda been able to learn it without me." _In a few hundred years. _he didn't say. _But damn, she really IS a fast learner!_

_Funny. When we are alone, he can be so modest. Is that the same, insensitive idiot I already know for two years?_ Akane thought of some of their fights, but somehow a slight smile was stuck on her face. _That reminds me, we are COMPLETELY alone out here…_

While Akane was imagining things, Ranma ate his dinner with lessening appetite. _I'm sorry, Ryōga, but I… I can't stand for this any longer! _"Akane?"

Having missed his somewhat sad look, Akane happily stared right through him. "What's up, Ranma?"

"I- I need to tell you something… Akane-san. Will you listen?"

_This _got her attention. _Why is he being so serious?_ "Why, shouldn't I, _Ranma-kun_?" Ranma flinched at that statement, and Akane winced. "Sorry, Ranma. I will listen. I promise."

Ranma put his bowl aside, knelt down on both knees, and bowed down to the very ground. "I am sorry, Akane-san, but I kept a secret from you. A secret that directly concerns you."

Akane gasped, but not why he thought she was: _My god, he is actually willing to break a promise for me!_

"Go on." she said in an indifferent tone, putting down her bowl, too.

Since he was unable to meet Akane's eyes, Ranma still had his head bowed. "When… When I had just gotten cursed in China, I was runnin' around crazy tryin' ta rip my ol' man's head off. And while I did so, I… I knocked… somebody... off a cliff. It happened right above the cursed springs, an--"

"And that's how Ryōga got cursed?"

"Yeah." Ranma looked up and half-smiled. "That's about i--" Suddenly, his expression turned to one of pure horror. "NANI?!" In a matter of seconds he was clutching at a treetop.

"Ranma…" whispered Akane, her eyes shaded by her bangs. "Please forgive me."

"Eh?" Ranma crawled down slowly, uncertain of what to do… "Akane, I…"

"Just how can you love me?" Akane slid down the stone she was sitting on. She looked up at him, and he read pain in her eyes."I mean, I practically spent more time with Ryōga than I did with you; more time than I ever spent with my own fiancé!" Tears welled up in her eyes that she tried to hold back. She was failing miserably. She even started sobbing a little. "Ple-… Please, Ranma! Please don't hate me! I… I-I… Oh, Ranma!" Akane buried her face in her hands.

Ranma had gone from one shock into another: Akane was crying! And it was his fault! He hadn't told her for so long, had let Ryōga grope her and ogle her and… _God knows what else!!_ He took her gently in his arms. "If anybody has to apologize, Akane, then it's me. I valued my own honor higher than yours, and--"

"You did not!" cried Akane. She then willed the tears away and smiled up at him, a tender, loving, yet unsure smile. Laying her hands on his chest, she continued softly: "Anyway, thank you for saying so."

"Now you're the Akane I know."

Akane looked at him in surprise. "You said that same thing, back then."

"…Yeah?" Ranma pondered a little. "Well, I really meant it. Then and now. I can't stand ta see ya sad. Yer just too lively a girl ta be crying."

"Arigatō gozaimasu, Ranma-kun." Still holding him with one hand, Akane leaned halfway away from Ranma's body, and smiled up at him. "That's really kind of you."

"Ah? And I thought I was an insensitive jerk?"

"You are…"

"Oi!"

"…but only sometimes." Akane's smile let die the words in his throat. Her hands crept around his body and she hugged him to her.

They were just holding each other for quite some time. Then:

_He's so sweet, even willing to forget his goddamn honour for me. _Akane looked up into Ranma's face: "I'm tired, Ranma. Come on, let's go to bed." She reluctantly disentangled herself from him, stood up, and went over to the tent. _I think that's got to be rewarded! _Luckily, Ranma didn't see her grin.

"Good night." Ranma hadn't moved a bit.

Akane stopped and turned back. "What's that supposed to mean, Ranma? Do you want to sleep out here, tonight?"

"Well… Yes."

_Argh, he's still too damn concerned and embarrassed! _Akane stomped back, took Ranma by his collar, and dragged him with her. "Mō!"

Ranma tried to come free. Needless to say it was futile. "Akane, whatcha doin'?!" You… I mean… I… I mean… We can't just--"

"WHAT can't we just do!? Sleep in the same tent!?" _If only you knew..._

Akane hauled Ranma into the tent, and then went to unzip her sweater.

"But Akane, we--" Picking himself up from the floor, Ranma's eyes fell on his fiancée's ... "Wha-… A- Akane! What are you doing?!"

"What does this look like? Did you think I'd sleep clothed?" The raven-haired girl gave him a wry look, now slowly stepping out off her trousers.

Blushing all over, Ranma whipped around to face the tent's sloping wall: "Yes… I mean, no, but… Tell me first! I-I mean, I--"

Akane stopped undressing, leaving her in her underwear, and sighed. "Ranma..." She knelt down behind him, laying a hand to his shoulder. When Ranma jumped at her touch, she winced. "I'm sorry. I... I know I used to hit you in the past, but please. Please, Ranma, look at me!" Taking his chin into her other hand, she slowly moved his head to face her.

What she saw made her want to cry. Ranma's eyes showed pure terror; terror of what she might do to him. _Oh my god, what have I done?!_ Fighting the tears, the girl did the first thing that came to her.

Still kneeling, Akane moved her knees apart, spreading her legs a little, and leaned back on her shins.

"How do I look?" she asked shyly.

"A-... A-Akane?" Ranma swallowed hard, unable to tear his eyes from her body.

"Well?" Almost _feeling_ his eyes on her, Akane felt a sudden warmth engulf her. She managed a seductive grin. "Not as unsexy as you claim, huh?"

The boy just shook his head dumbly.

_Hm, wha--_ Suddenly being hugged tightly by her fiancé, Akane's train of thought was derailed.

"R-Ranma...?" she asked tentatively.

"I love you." Ranma exclaimed over her shoulder.

The nervousness she hadn't known she felt fading, the girl's face settled into a warm smile. "I love you too, you dummy." She reached up with her hands and started returning the embrace.

"So, aren't you going to undress, too?"

Ranma sweatdropped.

--  
**Author's notes:**

Thanks to my pre-readers, LeaCarter, Mike and Myleanne. They read the first english version, which aired in beginning 2003.

There is a lemon I wrote about that night, but I abandoned any work on it as it's too OOC and perverted.

2008-05-04: Ripped all the explanations off the author's notes. Mail me, if you want any. If you don't know some japanese words, though, the internet is full of translations. Naturally, I'll write down the translations of things or techniques having never occurred in the Manga or Anime.

2008-05-06: Just having read "Out in the Open: Ranma and Akane's Retreat" by Aaron, I finally decided to edit this awful ending. You know, I never even once changed it in more than ten revisions – just because of some stupid lemon side story I wrote (that's too perverted, OOC, inaccurate and just plain stupid, anyway). It now more resembles what has to be expected after Ranma has practically been trained by his fiancée. Now, finally, I feel this chapter is complete.

* * *

Coming up next issue, Akane is making _Quick Progress_. See you when I get there!

Ja ne,

Ranma-sensei


	2. Quick Progress

When Ranma awoke in the morning, he felt _really_ good. Opening his sleepy eyes he was looking down into Akane's face. Her upper body was draped over his chest, and she was snoring softly, contentedly. He felt her bare breasts pressing against him with every breath she drew, and he started smiling while closing his eyes again. _Mmm, I could get used to this…_

Suddenly, he was wide-awake, and his eyes shot open in a display pure horror.

_AKANE!!_

**Insanity's End?**

A Ranma ½ FanFic by Ranma-sensei

**Legal Disclaimer:**

The Ranma ½ cast are property of Takahashi Rumiko-sensei, Kitty, Shogakukan, Viz, and some other companies, and are used for entertainment purposes only. I'll return them… Wonder if they'll be upset if I keep Akane.

Chapter 2: Quick Progress

_Oh god, she's gonna kill me! She-- _As his mind finally started working, he relaxed, remembering what had happened that last night. …_might not hit me, for once._ He smiled again. _No use lying around when I'm awake. Could just as well get up. But how…? _Ranma looked downward again, trying to think of a way of wiggling out from under Akane without waking her up. _She looks so peaceful…_

He tugged his sleeping bag, which was draped over them, away, carefully took Akane in his arms and, cradling her there, stood up slowly, awkwardly.

Taking care that he didn't wake her up, Ranma then lowered Akane onto her sleeping bag and covered her with his own. Kneeling down beside her, he tenderly brushed her bangs out of her face. Then he stood up and dressed. Done so, he turned his head, said "I love you… Akane-chan.", and went outside.

Akane, still fast asleep, turned and hugged Ranma's pillow. "I love you too, Ranma."

The pillow sweatdropped.

* * *

"Ohayō, Ranma." When Akane left the tent, the sun had already risen a bit.

"Ohayō, Akane-chan." Ranma blushed upon realizing what he had just said.

Akane smiled faintly. "Say, Ranma, why didn't you wake me up, already?" she asked surprisedly.

"Well, ah, I…" Ranma started poking the tips of his index fingers together.

"Hm?" _What is he nervous about, now?_

"Well, ah, to be honest…"

Akane crossed her arms before her chest. "I'd be glad if you would." she said in mock annoyance.

"I… I…" Ranma gulped several times; he had again bought into her act. "Well, I… I just couldn't bring myself to do it. You looked so… so… um, uh… peaceful." Ranma flushed at that last statement. "Gomen ne, Akane-chan." He let his head hang.

Akane just couldn't suppress her smile. "That's really sweet of you, but you shouldn't have. After all, I'm a martial artist, ne? I shouldn't be sleeping longer than my sensei does, should I?"

"Well…" Ranma looked up at her and she could read his eyes easily: _It's not like I probably could have._

Akane smiled some more. _He's really sweet, not being able to bring himself to wake me up._

"How are you feeling?" asked Ranma a little concernedly.

"Well, the long sleeping tensed me up a little." Akane laid her hands on her backside and stretched forward. Ranma took in the effect it had on her front, and promptly felt a trickle of blood. He turned away hastily.

"Thanks again." Akane grinned and sat down beside him. "So, what do we do now?"

"What do you mean, 'What do we--' Oh! Well, you're already very strong, but you lack a lot of speed, so we need to fix that, first."

"So it is just the speed?" asked Akane curiously.

"M- Yes, mostly, Akane." Ranma became nervous. "You are…" _How do I say that?_ "…Your attacks are too slow… No, I mean they are just too-- No, I… Never mind."

Akane felt crushed. "R-really?" she whispered, her eyes moistening. "Am I really that far behind?" She let her head hang. "What am I good for, anyway?"

"Akane, I…" Ranma reached out an arm, but then hesitated. This caught Akane's attention. She choked, and started giggling.

"C'mon, Ranma." she said. "Don't be so hesitant all of a sudden. You already know I don't mind."

"If it's alright, then…" Ranma waited for her to nod, and suddenly lashed out. Akane, always having been a little ticklish, sprang up shrieking, and then started to laugh.

"R- Ranma! What a- are you do-ing?!" she uttered.

"What's it look like?" Ranma's arms were a blur of motion, his hands tickling Akane in hundreds of spots a second. "Try tickling me back, or I'll tickle ya to death!"

"Just… you… wait!" cried Akane in between laughs. She started attacking back. "I'll get you!" Ranma stopped attacking in favor of dodging.

Seeing as her blows didn't even come close to her limits, Ranma mentally kicked himself in advance, and started teasing Akane: "Try it, slowpoke! Before you get me, Ryōga can read a map and not get lost at the same time!"

"Ohhhh! Come back here so I can tickle you!" Akane, already having forgotten her tears, doubled her efforts, and her lashing-out increased in speed. But Ranma was still faster than her, not letting her touch him.

And so the day had started…

* * *

Lunch time at Fūrinkan.

Ukyō was sullenly picking at her lunch trying to sort things out, and was wondering where Ranma and Akane were, when suddenly the building was rattled by blows. "What the he--" The wall closest to her exploded inward.

"Nihao, Ranma! Shampoo make special ra-- Aiya! Where Ranma?"

"Listen, honey!" Ukyō climbed out from under the debris. "You are going for Ran-chan's heart; I can understand that. You make your own doors, okay! But Never, EVER, do that again!"

"Ukyō better watch, no get buried." Shampoo just shrugged her shoulders.

"You!!" The chef growled and leapt at the Amazon. A dust-cloud rose, obscuring most of the fight. Only sometimes, and only for a second, one or both of them could be seen, kicking, biting or strangling the respectively other.

* * *

Evening. Mount Terror.

"Hey dolly, you gonna catch me today, or what?"

"Oh yeah!?" Akane, her arms a blur for hours now, was starting to get unnerved. _I've HAD IT!! He keeps teasing me, and I can't even touch him! For that he will die… _She smiled a grim smile,_ ...laughing._

Her opponent seemed to slow down, and Akane saw her chance. She lashed out; left, and right, and left and right, and left and right and left…

"So, yo-- ha… Tha-- Haha… That's impossib-- WAHAHAHA!! Stop it! Ple-he-he-hease!"

"Ha, I've got you now! Suffer!!" Akane lashed out and out, tickling Ranma hundreds of times a second.

"Wee-hee'lll see that!!" Ranma started tickling back, and shortly after the only sounds to be heard were laughing, giggling and occasional shrieks.

When they were totally drained, the two lovers ended their dance.

"Ranma… your training… is… dangerous." Akane was huffing.

"Wha-… -t do you mean? Didn't… you… like it?" Ranma wasn't feeling any better.

"I… did. But I… almost… killed myself… laughing." As if they had agreed on it, they both simultaneously took a few long, deep breaths.

"But it was fun, ne?" Ranma grinned at her. He sobered. "Anyway, you've gotten very fast today. You even pulled off a Kachū Tenshin Amaguriken in the end. You just have to remember how you did it."

Akane turned serious. "Ranma, why do you insist on teasing me?"

"Aw, Akane…" Ranma didn't quite know how to break her that. "Y'know, I'm teasin' ya just to encourage you. You don't use the power you got, so I need a way ta activate it."

"You know, those were kinda fun, but the others…" Akane didn't seem all too happy, "…do you really think I'm _that_ ugly?"

"Akane, I…" Ranma was desperate. "I- I don't mean it that way. I just, just say such things, and I only realize it when I already said 'em. An'…" Ranma looked to the ground. "I can't really blame ya for hittin' me when I done that."

"Ranma…" Now it was Akane's turn inspecting her feet. "I'm sorry I hit you so often. I shouldn't, really. I-- No, let me finish! I should listen you out and not jump to conclusions. I am sorry, Ranma." She let her head hang.

"Well, 's about time you--" Akane's head snapping up made Ranma realize that he was doing it again, and he slapped his hands over his mouth. "Oh geez, Akane, I'm sorry!" He sighed. "Here I'm doing it again. Guess I must really be hard to live with. I mean, I am a first class jerk, the type you usually despise, and yet you put up with me. Why?"

"Ranma, I think it's for the same reason why you put up with me. It says 'Love is blind'. I say, it must be, for we both love each other; despite our - big - flaws."

"You got that one right…" Ranma suddenly smiled an impish smile. "But you know, I think I love ya _because_ yer a tomboy."

Akane playfully stuck out her tongue at him. "And maybe I couldn't love you without you being at least a _bit_ of a hentai."

"Look who's talking."

The growling of Ranma's stomach caught Akane's attention. "It seems someone here is hungry, ne?" she said, smiling sweetly.

"How'd you know?" Ranma laughed, laying a hand to the back of his head.

* * *

The next morning had Ranma showing Akane different stances. In his opinion, hers were too open in showing her readiness. Akane wasn't too enthused with his choice of words, but managed not to stomp her sensei into the ground.

Later that day Ranma did a _real_ spar with Akane. She had talked him into hitting her so she would become tougher. Ranma didn't like it, really, but she had made him promise it. He winced every time he got a hit in. Akane was a girl, after all! She couldn't possibly take his blows, could she?

Oh, and how she could! Akane took each and every blow he landed without complaining. All she did was concentrate on building up her defenses and trying to leave less openings. Actually, the harder she got hit, the less she seemed to mind. Seeing as she was tougher than he had thought, Ranma started to loosen up and have fun, too.

And so this day went on…

* * *

This afternoon, Ucchan's Okonomiyaki-ya was closed down. Ukyō Kuonji had decided that she needed some time alone to come to terms with her own life. She was lying on her futon, sadly thinking about her life so far.

_What do I do? I knew for quite some time now that Ranma is Akane's, and yet I helped blow up their wedding; I'm sure that's why he's been snubbing me. Now I lost his love…_

_His love! HA!! _Ukyō growled angrily to herself._ He always thought of me as his best friend. And I betrayed that friendship! OH, I was really blind to the facts before me! _She returned to her sad demeanor._ Now I even lost that, that's for sure!_

Ukyō slapped herself. _C'mon, Kuonji! You can't give up just yet! Maybe… Maybe if I apologize to them they'll at least be my friends again. _She looked down sadly. _I hope._

_Ohh, I wish I hadn't done that! It cost me my friends… If I can salvage ANYTHING from that mess I've gotten myself into, maybe I'll be happy again, one day. _Ukyō stood up and started for the stairs.

When she reached the downstairs, however, her eyes fell on the counter, and an image of Ranma sitting there and happily chattering away with her flashed through her mind. Tears started welling up, and Ukyō collapsed down to the floor burying her face in her hands. "I'm sorry, Ran-chan!" she cried between sobs, "I'm so sorry!"

* * *

Ranma and Akane came back to the camp when the sun was already setting.

Despite leaning into Ranma and hobbling a little, Akane seemed to be happy. In fact, she looked like the happiest woman in the world.

"I'm sorry, Akane." Ranma sounded self-accusing. He felt more than just guilty. "I shouldn't have hit ya so ha--"

"Don't be." Akane told him firmly. "How should I ever get tougher, if my sensei refuses to hit me?" She felt a lot better already, but that didn't stop her from leaning into Ranma. "You know, being taken seriously by _you_ of all people, that's something really special for me." Akane smiled up at him.

"Ah? How so?" Ranma was earnestly clueless.

"You wouldn't know, would you?" She turned to hug Ranma. _She sure seems to recover as quickly as I do._ "Well, my father never really trained me. He always appreciated my efforts, but he would spar with me scarcely, and I can count those on one hand. The only people ever having considered me a martial artist where Shampoo and Ukyō, and they would only fight me in order to get rid of me."

"And yet you…" Akane looked up, and he saw her eyes glistening a little. "You wouldn't spar with me. Oh yes," Her voice became mocking, "you would let ME fight YOU, but you would only dodge my attacks, never retaliate." She sighed, sounding wistful again, "While you would fight Shampoo, or even Ukyō, for real, you've never even considered retaliating at _me_. Do you know how that feels?" She locked her arms around Ranma's waist and squeezed tight. Ranma's eyes bulged out. "It feels HOLLOW!!"

Loosening her grip and laying her hands on his front, Akane was intent on staring at Ranma's shirt-clad chest. "And now you are taking me seriously; fighting and hitting me as if I was a worthy opponent - which I know I am not." She looked up and smiled at him. "That's what I want to thank you for." Leaning up, she caught Ranma's mouth in a kiss, blowing his mind out of his ears.

"My, isn't that lovely?" came a mocking comment.

Ranma and Akane's eyes flew open in total shock. They disengaged and turned the same instant, falling into defensive stances. There, leaning against a tree, stood Ryōga, arms crossed and looking like he always did just before attacking Ranma.

"Relax, Ranma." Ryōga uncrossed his arms and straightened out. "I already told you that I won't interfere anymore." He saluted them and said with a grin: "Hi, guys! How's it goin'?"

Akane's stance shifted to relaxed, and Ranma gulped low, but audibly.

"Ya, Ryōga-kun!" Akane stepped forward, waving a hand hello in a very Ranma-esque manner. Ryōga's brow crinkled, the more as Ranma was frantically pointing at Akane and making desperate-looking cut-throat-gestures with his hands.

Then his eyes widened. _Oh no, she--_ Suddenly, Akane seemed to vanish. "Ryōga, RU--" Before he knew it, Ryōga was drenched with cold water. "…-N!! Oh, forget it." However, Ryōga _did _run. Or better, he tried, because Akane already had him by his bandanna. Then she turned him so that he faced her.

Seeing as running away wasn't a choice anymore, the little black piglet stopped struggling and let his legs hang, the realization of sure death written into its sadly looking eyes.

"Not a chance! Do you think you're getting away from me _THAT_ easily!?" The edge in Akane's voice was unmistakable.

"Kwee wee, pweee!!" P-chan was panic-stricken, and his explanations sounded rather… incomprehensible.

"Well, _Ryōga_: If you promise not to run away, I'll change you back. If not… I haven't decided what to cook for dinner. _Yet_!" Akane's mouth formed a grin that would have frightened a Kappa. "So, do you promise?" Her voice forbid denial.

The black piglet nodded his head frantically.

"Good." With that, Akane set him on the floor, produced a teakettle and poured its contents onto him. Her sad whisper of "Goodbye, P-chan." was too soft for everybody else's ears.

"Akane-san, I…" Ryōga trailed off. He didn't know what to tell her.

"Don't you EVER remind me what things happened with you being… him." Her face still being as hard as stone, Akane absentmindedly punched at the dead tree beside her, ripping a hole into it in less than ten seconds. "Do it, and I will reward you. Understand?"

Seeing as Akane's speed now almost matched her strength, Ryōga gulped. "Hai."

"Very good." Akane's gaze wandered downwards, and her face settled into a smirk. "I think you should _at least_ wear shorts." she said flatly, still looking down on Ryōga.

With a mighty cry of "Eeeep!!", the lost boy jumped into the nearby bushes.

Seconds later he emerged from them wearing his usual outfit - and a rather embarrassed expression.

"Okay, Ryōga…" Akane waved a hand at the camp. "Why don't you join us for dinner? As a guest, I mean." she added with a grin.

"H- hai." answered Ryōga weakly.

"So, what are ya doin' up here, Ryōga?" asked Ranma. "Got lost again?"

Ryōga's head snapped up momentarily, but he deflated almost immediately. "Well, kind of. I was going to follow you, but, somehow, I took the wrong turn." He twiddled his fingers.

"Figures." muttered Akane. _Why did I never notice that on P-chan? He got lost all the time. And Ryōga would always appear shortly before or after P-chan had. _She shook her head. _No use thinking about the past. There's better times for this. _The three of them sat down at the fire, and Akane started cooking.

"You know, you couldn't possibly have deceived anybody, this past Sunday." Ryōga wore a slight smirk. "You were just lucky your fathers or Nabiki weren't there, then. Kasumi, however… Sorry, Ranma, but even your mother seems a bit, ah… absent-minded, sometimes."

"Thing with Kasumi is…" Akane answered over Ranma's growl, "She isn't as oblivious as you'd think. She's just really good."

"Hope you like it." she said, handing Ranma and Ryōga each a bowl.

Ryōga, knowing of Akane's usual 'skill' at cooking, eyed his dinner warily. But seeing as Ranma already gobbled his food with appetite, he too dug in.

"Ranma!" Akane poked Ranma lightly in the ribs.

Ranma got her hint and slowed down, now ALMOST eating like a civilized person.

"Better." said Akane, not quite sounding satisfied.

Ryōga held the bowl closer to his mouth, observing the strange conversation over the brim of it. _I wouldn't believe it, hadn't I seen it with my own eyes… Ranma is actually willing to let Akane teach him table manners. My god, the world's gotta end! _He grinned at his wit.

"Say, Ryōga-kun, do you like it?"

"Hunh? Oh, the food! Yes, it's good! I'm just wondering… Uh, never mind!"

"You mean since when _I_ can cook?"

"Um…" Ryōga looked down embarrassedly. "Yes."

"I see." Akane grumbled a little, but lightened up quickly. "Okay, I'll tell you. You see, last Tuesday…"

"**Ranma! Why won't you eat the lunch I made you!?" Akane was chasing her fiancé with her fists clenched. The other students barely avoided being run over by either Ranma or her.**

"**Already told ya!" Ranma shouted back. "I'm not yet prepared ta face death!"**

"**Ohhhh, you…! Come back here!" Akane chased Ranma for another five minutes, but when he looked back later, he saw that he must have shook her off.**

"**Phew, that was--" Ranma never finished his sentence as Akane's hands closed around his throat and she lifted him off the ground. "Urk."**

"**Do you know how much that hurts, having you ridicule my cooking!?" she whispered fiercely, shaking him like a rag doll, both of her hands still around his neck.**

"**A- kane, don't…" Ranma choked out. He then reconsidered his words: "Learn cooking… first, then… I won't."**

**Akane dropped him to the floor and stared daggers at him. "Fine then, teach me!" she said coldly.**

"**Uh…" Ranma's jaw kissed the floor. Then a thought registered through. **_**Why not? If I want her to get better, why not teach her myself? **_**"I guess I could." he said softly, standing up. "If you want, that is."**

**Akane, who had at first been surprised at Ranma's consent, began smiling. She looked around for onlookers, and then hugged Ranma and gave him a quick peck on the cheek. "Thank you, Ranma. I'd like that." She disengaged, and dragged him behind her by his hand. "Come on, I'll buy you lunch."**

**Behind them, peering around a corner, stood Ukyō, her depression flickering lightly around her body. **_**I really have lost. He's snubbing me, and… and he… he… **_**She choked back a sob, ****turned around and ran off in the opposite direction Akane and Ranma had taken, tears trailing behind.**

"Yeah, and then she blew up the school's kitchens 1-3 before she got how to cook safely. Well, to be accurate, she blew up the first, burnt down the second, and--" Akane's fist being slowly pushed into his side told Ranma he'd better stop his remarks about her cooking attempts. "However, she _did_ learn very fast. I never seen nobody learn something quicker'n she did - 'cept me, of course!" Akane just shook her head smiling at his remark.

"Hai, thank you for telling me." Ryōga looked curious, still. "But that act of yours, how come…?"

"That's another story." Akane turned her attention back to the discussion at hand. "Well, the day after that Ranma…"

"**Ranma, what are you so excited about?" Akane was totally surprised. When school had ended, he had taken her by the hand and dragged her out at high speed, all the time of which he was smiling madly.**

"**I'll show ya something." With that, Ranma seemed to disappear.**

"**What do you want to sho-- Wah, Ranma!!" Ranma had grabbed a hold of her waist and hopped onto the fence, taking her with him. There, after she had balanced herself, he let go.**

"**Thought I'll teach ya a little in balance." He pushed her forward, forcing her to walk on the fence. " Whoops!" Ranma quickly renewed his grip when Akane suddenly slipped.**

"**But Ranma, I… I…" Akane's protest was **_**very**_** small. "Hai, sensei!"**

"**See, it's not that hard, is it?" Akane shook her head at that. "Let's go a little faster." After about five minutes, Akane was walking all by herself, but still with Ranma sticking close to her.**

"**I was wondering…" started Akane.**

"**Hm?"**

"**I mean…" Akane looked back over her shoulder while still walking on the fence. "What do we do about that training trip we planned for next week? Our fathers will be hard enough to deal with, anyway, but if they know…" She trailed off.**

"**I know what you mean." answered Ranma. "They'd be arranging for the next marriage before the remains of the last one aren't even swept together. Hmm… I've got no idea whatso-- Hey!"**

**Startled by Ranma's cry, Akane slipped on the fence. "EEEP!!" A pair of strong hands she knew only too well prevented her from making a rather painful experience straddling the fence. "Phew. What's with you!?" she asked, turning on the fence and punching his shoulder playfully.**

"**Uh, gomen." Ranma laid a hand behind his head. "'s just, I think I've got an idea." This of course got Akane's attention. "You like acting, right?"**

"**Yeah, but what--" Suddenly her face lit up in realization. "Ranma! That's a clever idea! But…" She turned serious. "I don't wanna hurt you, act or not." She cast her look downward.**

"**Aw, come on." Ranma bent down so he could look her in the face. "I won't break. Okay?"**

**Akane smiled a little. "Now, where have I heard that line before?"**

"**Uh…" Now it was Ranma's turn looking down. "Gomen again, but you know how I feel 'bout that." He looked up. "Anyway, you ready to do this?"**

"**Hai, I suppose so." Akane sported what should have been a reassuring smile.**

"**Okay then, now that that's settled…" Ranma took hold of Akane's waist again, turned her in a flash, and resumed pushing her forward.**

"**Ranma…!!" cried Akane delightedly.**

"Hn…" Ryōga's face had been stuck in a grin for minutes now, a hand supporting his chin.

"Whatcha grinnin' at?" asked Ranma.

"Oh, nothin'." Ryōga waved him off. "Just wondering if you considered that Akane was wearing her school uniform at that time."

Akane, realization dawning on her, jumped up, reached into hammerspace, hefted her mallet, cried "Ryōga no hentai!" and embedded the lost boy two feet into the ground, arms and legs akimbo. Then she turned on Ranma, growling lightly, almost playfully. "And you…!"

Ranma was meanwhile busy resuming the position of the crouching tiger. "Gomen, gomen, gomen…"

Seeing as she couldn't resist his begging for amnesty, Akane stowed her mallet away and settled for a light whap on the head; almost featherlight. He looked up in surprise.

"Okay, I'll let it slide." She winked at him seductively. "For first-class service." At this and her wink, Ranma swallowed hard.

Crawling back out of the Hibiki-shaped hole, Ryōga laid one hand on the big lump growing on his head. "That actually hurt a bit." he muttered surprisedly. He looked up. "Gomen ne, Akane-san."

"All right, Ryōga-kun… And stop calling me -san, please. That's so formal." She smiled a little. "Akane will do just fine."

"Hai, Akane-sa-- Akane." Yawning behind his hand, he realized that it had gotten very late, already. "I guess we should be going to sleep, ne? We've got some trainin' to do tomorrow, don't we?"

"Uh, Ryōga-kun?" Akane looked at him sporting a curious expression.

Ryōga smiled a little. "Ryōga will do just fine. What is it?"

"Hai. _Ryōga_, why… why didn't you ever tell me?" Akane's face was mostly indifferent, but a note of betrayal had crept onto it.

"Akane-san, I…" Ryōga didn't know what to say. Mostly because he didn't really know why he hadn't told her, himself. "I guess I was just a little too… too immature to realize you'd never like me for who I am. I thought that if I was your pet that I could have all of your affection, leaving none to Ranma, and maybe, one day, he'd get fed up and leave." He smiled weakly. "Pretty silly, eh?"

"Well…" Akane pondered a little. "I must admit it makes sense, given your situation. Nonetheless…" She looked at him, betrayal now clearly in her manner. "You shouldn't have been my pet, to begin with."

"H- Hai. I agree." Ryōga's eyes sought out the ground, his expression sullen. "Maybe if--" Stopping in mid-sentence, Ryōga laid a hand behind his head and laughed nervously. "But that's not important! Good night." He snuck off toward his backpack.

Akane watched as he set up his tent without saying a single word. Shooting a glance at Ranma, she saw that he was deep in thought. Feeling her eyes on him, he gave her a look telling her he was thinking the same thing. At his helpless shrug, Akane nodded.

"Goodnight, Ryōga!" She went into the tent.

"'night, pal!" called Ranma across the camp where Ryōga was just about to enter his tent.

"Good night, you two!" Frowning, Ryōga entered his tent. _Ranma's sharing a tent with Akane? Could they…? _He pondered a little, then shook his head._ OH, what do I care?_ After rolling out his sleeping bag, Ryōga stripped down to his boxers and went to bed. Sleep soon washed over him, but his dreams were filled with sadness.

* * *

The next day, Ryōga let himself be talked into training Ranma and Akane Bakusai Tenketsu. He didn't really like the idea of having to hurt Akane, but he felt that he owed her, and maybe training her would pay off part of this debt. So, he complied and taught first Akane, and after she mastered it in half a day, he trained a very distraught and worried Ranma in it, who couldn't really concentrate on finding the breaking point.

* * *

Kasumi was cleaning up her father's room. It wasn't too often that he wasn't at home and she had the possibility to try and bring order to the chaos. This day was one of them, Soūn having taken his shōgi board and gone over to the Saotome's place visiting Genma. _Maybe he's finally coming around, again. He wouldn't move anywhere much without the family since mother passed away. On the other side, playing shōgi and drinking with Saotome no ojī-san…_ Kasumi sighed disappointedly and resumed with her work.

When she took one of the folders she wanted to set on a board, off the floor, a piece of paper fluttered out. Laying the folder to the side, she squatted to pick it up. "I wish he would at least file the papers he's got lying around. I--" Kasumi trailed off. The top of the page had caught her attention. Running her eyes over it they went wider and wider.

A mere minute later near-hysterical laughter caught Nabiki's attention, the more as it seemed to be Kasumi's. She ran to her father's room, from where it came, and stopped short in her tracks at seeing her big sister - composure in person! - laugh out loud and heartily.

"Sis?! What's going on?!" Kasumi turned her head and, seeing Nabiki standing in the doorway looking at her in slack-jawed wonder, launched into fits of giggling.

"No- Nothing, Nabiki-chan! It's just..." Trying to control her laughter, Kasumi just held out the sheet of paper for Nabiki to take.

Reading the document, Nabiki's eyes grew wider and wider, until they didn't seem to fit in their sockets, anymore. When she finished reading the paper, however, she too broke down laughing. "Oh, this… this is… rich! I wonder how the-- Hehehe! …how they managed to-- Wahaha!! …Oh, never mind, sis! Hahahahaha!!

When the two elder Tendō sisters calmed down, Nabiki took the documents and filed them away in her room. She then helped Kasumi clean up her fathers room before he got home.

* * *

Next morning, seeing as she was a very fast learner, Ranma and Ryōga taught Akane to concentrate and gather her ki outside her body in order to throw ki blasts.

Halfway through the day, Ryōga asked if it wasn't a good idea to start Akane on the Hiryū Shōten Ha, seeing as it taught the control of one's aura.

When all the preparations were done (Ranma having frisked Akane quite thoroughly), it came in handy that Ryōga had spent a good amount of time as Akane's pet. Akane, however, spent most of the time embarrassedly chasing after Ryōga and waving her arms ("Hey, that's not fair!" - "This is so embarrassing!"), so on this day they could not finish training her in this technique.

A small figure watched silently from a dark treetop. "Interesting. So he has officially chosen his mate and is preparing her for the final face-off. I just hope..." The dark figure sighed, and hopped away as silently as it came.

* * *

Training the Hiryū Shōten Ha was very distressing. At least it seemed so to Akane, but as midday came around she had finally come to accept the humiliation and concentrate on staying in the spiral. This was when things got interesting:

Since Ryōga and Ranma were unable to build up any hate against Akane, they had to resort to active battle auras in order to produce the heat needed for the Ascending Dragon Strike. However, it took them several more hours to work up the courage to really go after Akane, tough or not. When they came this far, however…

* * *

"That's strange."

"Hm?" Yuka looked up from her ice cream, the scoop still sticking from her mouth.

"Didn't you see that twister just now? It seemed to come from Mount Terror." Sayuri asked her friend.

"Oh, come on. You were just dreami--" Right in that moment a body hit the pavement just outside the shop's panorama window. "Hm, but I _think_ I just saw Ranma ending yet another flying session." She grinned a little.

"Sō desu ka?" Sayuri irritably cocked an eyebrow at her friend, and then looked out the window and down. "Still…" She winced. "I wonder how he manages that…" She hooked a thumb at him standing back up and idly brushing off his clothes, "after destroying the pavement with his impact." Yuka just shrugged her shoulders.

* * *

"Oooff…" Akane sat in the crater, a blank expression stuck on her face, and her right arm still raised up to the sky. When she came to, she found that she was lucky to have thought of taking with her more than one track-suit; this one sure wasn't suited for wearing anymore.

* * *

After having picked up Ryōga, Ranma returned to the camp. The sun was already setting, and he felt drained.

Having assured none of them three was severely injured, Akane turned to cooking dinner. When she was done, they sat down at the fire; Ranma and Akane together, and Ryōga facing them.

"So, how do you plan to handle the others?"

"Well, Ryōga… To be honest…" Ranma trailed off.

"We don't have the slightest idea." said Akane, finishing the sentence. "Kunō-sempai's harmless, and Kodachi's just plain crazy… I don't really wanna hurt Ukyō, though. She may be my rival, but she's my friend, too." Akane looked down at her lap.

"Okay, but what about Shampoo and her great-grandmother?" Ranma and Akane slumped at that. "Sorry, I didn't mean to--"

"No, it's alright, Ryōga." Akane tried to smile. "It's just… We don't know how to deal with them. Shampoo is so damn pigheaded… Oh, sorry." Ryōga arched an eyebrow at that. "I mean, she'll challenge me for Ranma, and I really don't know her skill. She's an Amazon - a warrior; born to fight. I don't know if I can take her on. And there still is this kiss of death she gave me..." Akane slumped further, then jumped at feeling a _HUGE_ aura flaring up beside her. It was cold as ice, and yet it was extremely hot! Was this how her anger felt?

"If she hurts you..." Ranma's voice was low and thundering; it was creepy, and Akane couldn't suppress a shudder.

"Now, now, Ranma." Ryōga tried to calm the pigtailed martial artist. "I'm sure Akane will be fine." Ranma deflated a little. "She learned much in the past few days. Shampoo won't expect that much skill from her, and that'll be her doom."

Ranma's aura flickered, and then vanished. He sighed. "You are right." He laid an arm around Akane and smiled at her. "I'm sure you can make it."

"Arigatō, Ranma. That's kind of you." Akane leaned up to kiss him, and Ryōga turned away, blushing brightly.

* * *

Saturday afternoon.

The three of them were busy breaking their camp, but somehow Ranma and Akane weren't able to finish by the time Ryōga had already packed up his stuff. Maybe Akane's tickle technique had something to do with it?

"Come on, you two! Stop fooling around and--" Ryōga sweatdropped at seeing Akane and Ranma turn and advance on him, grinning evilly. "Hey guys, don't do anything you might regret! I mean, I-- Hehe! No, please! Stop i-hi-hit!!" Ryōga backtracked until he stood with his back to the stream that there was. "Co- Come on, guys, don--"

Splash!

"Oi! Oi, Ryōga. No need to go P-chan just 'cau-- Whoa, Akane, don't puuu--"

Splash!

"Oops." Akane was grinning madly.

"Oh, yeah?" retorted onna-Ranma in mock anger. "Just you wait!" Before she could think of running away, a pillar of water crashed onto Akane.

"Ohhh, you'll pay for that!" What followed, can only be described as water play, for 'fight' would be an overstatement.

When Ranma and Ryōga had changed back, and Akane had gotten some dry clothes, they finished breaking the camp and started for home. That is, after they had caught Ryōga, who had promptly run off in the wrong direction.

* * *

Around midday, the three martial artists arrived at the Tendō residence. Ranma was almost immediately confronted with a madly grinning Genma.

"What's with that goofy grin, oyaji!? Because of you I had a lot of trouble!" retorted Ranma, punching his father through the front wall. Depending on the point of view, his words were the literal truth. He couldn't have possibly told anyone the intimate details.

"But, boy! What could possibly have caused you trouble sleeping in the same tent as Aka…" A dark glow suddenly illuminating Ranma's face let Soūn trail off in "-ne?" When he turned to his daughter, he almost fainted in terror.

"Daddy, you were in on this!?" growled Akane. Soūn swallowed hard and sported a deer-in-headlights look. Ryōga just watched the scene amusedly.

"My, you are back already? Come on in, I just finished lunch." Once again, Kasumi saved her father's hide.

Having regained his composure after Akane had turned away and started into the house, Soūn took Ryōga aside and quietly asked him: "Have you told her?" His tone was somewhat tense.

Another glow told him that maybe this hadn't been _quite_ as quiet as he had intended it to be.

Akane turned around deliberately, slowly advanced on her father and asked in a calm, yet icy voice: "Daddy, you knew about that, too?"

"I, uh… Well… I-I've got something very important to take care of!" Before the sentence was even finished, a Soūn-shaped dust cloud stood where he had been only moments before.

"Tendō-san, let me help you!" cried Ryōga, not wanting to be the new focus of Akane's anger. A mere second later, three man-shaped holes in the wall fence were the only evidence that there had been anyone at all.

Akane turned to Ranma, a look of pure rage still etched into her face. Seeing him cringe away in fear, Akane deflated and slowly, reassuringly smiled up at him. However, her face said: _Something has to be done - soon!_ Ranma just nodded at that.

Tomorrow would be the day!

* * *

This night, neither Akane nor Ranma slept well. Having slept together for almost a week now, they found themselves not being able to sleep for quite a long time. When they finally did, Akane dreamt about the happenings in Jusenkyō and Jusendō, and she tossed and turned most of the night.

Ranma stopped turning some time through the night. He lay on his side, looking as if he had fallen sideways from a sitting position, and held his arms out before him, as if holding something. His cheeks were wet, and he whispered: "Don't die on me, Akane. Not yet that you're save. Please, Akane. I wanted to tell you something. Will you listen…?"

In her room, Akane had stopped turning, leaving her lying on her back. She was crying in her sleep. "I'm here, Ranma. Can't you see me?" She choked. "Can't you hear me?"

* * *

It was a bright Sunday, and a rare sight, too, as Genma and Soūn were sparring in the dōjō.

"Daddy! Uncle Saotome! Mind if we join in?"

"Yeah, how 'bout sparring with your daughter, Mister Tendō?"

"No!" Soūn was shocked that Ranma - especially him, the chauvinist numero uno! - would suggest something like that. "I would only hurt her, and I don't want that!"

"Fine, then she'll spar with oyaji."

"But, he's even better than me!" protested Soūn.

"Oh, she sure doesn't seem to mind that." commented Ranma, calmly watching her blur in on his father.

* * *

Mere minutes later, two figures lay, battered, bruised and unconscious, on the dōjō floor. Two others were just leaving it.

"Honestly! Daddy with his announcements! Even when they attacked me simultaneously, they didn't get a hit in. Bu--"

"Oh! and what about this one?" Ranma touched Akane on the left side of her ribcage.

"Ow! Okay, so they got _one_ single hit in." She stuck her tongue out at her lover.

Ranma smirked. "Ya know? How ya forced oyaji ta take this direction so your father had ta defend himself, that was great work."

"Well, it wouldn't have been half the fun taking out only one of them." Akane grinned at him.

"No complaints here." Ranma grinned right back, and closed the shōji behind the two of them.

* * *

In the late afternoon, Akane came into the kitchen. "Kasumi onē-chan? Do you know where daddy is?"

Kasumi turned around and wiped her hands on her apron. "Why, Akane-chan, he and Saotome no ojī-san left half an hour ago. Father said something about training in the woods."

"Oh, good. Just what I wanted them to do."

A loud thump could be heard when Nabiki fell down the stairs.

* * *

Evening. The Neko Hanten.

"Hībā-chan, Shan Pu done with chores. Can go now?" Having had to work for the past weeks, the chinese girl had grown increasingly fidgety.

"I am sorry, great-granddaughter..." Cologne appeared in the kitchen, "But I need you to tidy out the attic. We badly need to get rid of some of that stuff."

"But..." Cologne mad a hand gesture that silenced her grandchild.

"I know, child. And I wouldn't ask it of you if it needn't be done. But only this last task, and you can go about your business as always, I promise." Seeing Shampoo relax, the amazon elder sighed internally.

_I cannot continue this much longer..._

* * *

Dinner was rather quiet, since the two fathers seemed to want to go through with their plan.

Afterwards, Akane and Ranma intertwined their hands, blushed a little, and then nodded at each other. The time couldn't have been better.

"No!" Kasumi said just as the two of them opened their mouths. "You cannot elope." Nabiki mustered all that she could to keep a straight face.

"Wha- What?" Ranma and Akane were shell-shocked. "Why?" Nabiki rolling on the floor laughing just confused them more.

"Yo-hou'll see…" Nabiki produced a piece of paper and held it out for them to read.

The Tendō residence's roof rose several feet at a mighty cry of "**NANI?!**"

"Well, you see…" said Nabiki, smirking, "you can only marry once." She shot a look at Kasumi to see her grinning from ear to ear. "And you _are_ already married."

Having somewhat regained her composure, Akane spoke up: "I... I know how my signature got there, but how'd they get Ranma's?"

Kasumi shrugged, a gesture Ranma had never seen on her before. "Maybe they tricked him, or they faked it. It doesn't really matter now, does it?"

"Well, I'm sure this is my handwriting…" started Ranma, "but… Oh hell, you're right." He laid his arm around Akane's shoulder. "Just one question: How did you know…?"

"Oh…" said Nabiki. "It really wasn't easy figuring this was all some act you'd put up, but after what Kasumi told me about last Sunday…"

"Which reminds me…" Kasumi turned to look at her youngest sister irritably. "No more "bad" cooking, little sister, or you are banned from the kitchen. I am tired of continuously having to clean up my kitchen." The edge in her voice, too, was unusual to Ranma.

"Hai." answered Akane meekly.

"Good. And now I want you to tell us what really happened in the past few weeks." Kasumi's tone was pleasant, but nonetheless commanding. Ranma and Akane sighed. This was going to be a _looong_ evening.

* * *

This night again, Ranma and Akane did have nightmares:

**Jusendō. Akane is turning the Kinjakan, trying to save Ranma's life. **_**You're not getting Ranma so long as I live! **_**She is drained of all water and shrunk to the size of a doll by the heat the Kinjakan is radiating. **

**...**

**Shampoo is trying to get Ranma to agree to do anything she wants him to by threatening the shrunken Akane's life. Ranma agrees, but with the intention to try and catch her in one of the Surikomi eggs. **_**Akane, I'll save you, no matter what!**_

_**...**_

**Ranma is trying to save Akane's life by dousing her into the waters of the dragon tap, but Saffron won't let him. **_**Akane!**_

_**...**_

**Eventually, the final confrontation with Saffron comes up. Ranma tries to fend him off, to somehow defeat him so he can get to the cold Jusenkyō water. Suddenly, Saffron shoots his ****Tenka Shunmetsu Kōkyūdan at Ranma:**

_**NO!! Ranma!! I'll save you, no matter my life!**_** Akane launches out of Ranma's shirt, getting in the way of the giant ball of flame.**

"**AKANE!! NO!!" Ranma reaches out for her, trying to grasp her… But Akane's small body is incinerated in the flames.**

"_**NOOOO**__OOooooo...!!_"

Just as Akane shot up in her bed soaked with sweat, a heartrending cry of anguish shot through the house. Before she even knew it, she was out of her bed and in Ranma's room.

Ranma sat there, dripping with sweat and shaking violently. His eyes were overflowing, and raw despair was written all over his face. Akane quickly knelt down beside him and took him into a firm, yet tender embrace. She rocked a little back and forth. "Shh, Ranma. It's alright. I'm okay. You saved me." Had she given it any thought, she would have realized that she, too, was all tears.

By the door stood a fearful Kasumi and Nabiki, having woken up from the screaming.

Kasumi smiled a small smile at the scene, and, after nodding at Nabiki, quietly closed the fusuma and went to bed again.

"Please, Akane…" Ranma tearfully looked up into her face, "Please don't leave me."

"No, Ranma." Akane whispered back. "I'll always be with you." She lowered him onto his futon, crawled in herself, and snuggled up next to him, embracing him tightly, protectively. Ranma, still shaking a little, sighed and embraced Akane, too.

"I love you, Akane."

"Hmmm." Akane kissed him on his nose. "I love you, too, Ranma." She too sighed with relief, and soon sleep washed over them, this time only holding pleasant dreams.

* * *

**Author's notes:**

Thanks to my pre-readers, LeaCarter and myleanne (and my girlfriend Kane-chan for reviewing the latest version of this one! --Ran-chan, 2004-07-27)

Please send C&C to . Flames will be fought against - with sarcasm!

See you next time, when the motto is _Insanity... and other daily happenings!_

Ja ne,

Ranma-sensei


	3. Insanity and other daily Happenings

Monday morning, Akane awoke smiling. She felt _good_. She opened her eyes and looked at Ranma. _He looks so peaceful._ Akane sighed contentedly. _My fian-- No, my HUSBAND! _She frowned slightly. _Though we wanted to get married, I don't like it that they fooled us. I think some retaliation is in order. _She grinned evilly. _Maybe I'll talk to auntie about that. _She lazily turned to look at the clock...

_OH NO!!_ The clock read "7:30".

"Ranma!" Akane shook her brand-new husband. "We need to stand up! We've got school today!"

"Mfrgldmgb." Ranma just turned over, pinning Akane to the floor.

"Eep! Come on, wake up, already! We don't have time for this!" Since Ranma hadn't woken up yet, Akane remained pinned down, unable to move. _Oh, great! He's snoring away, and I can't even stand up… _She pondered shortly.Then, grinning evilly, she leaned up to Ranma's face and kissed him passionately on the lips.

When he started kissing her back, Akane laid a hand on his chest and said: "Sorry, Ranma, I'd really like to continue this, but we need to get ready for school."

Ranma sighed disappointedly and rolled off the girl, who quickly scrambled to her feet and started for the door.

"Don't want to be late, do you?"

Ranma just fell back onto his pillow. "Okay, okay." he groaned. "What do we need school for, anyway?"

Akane smiled. "Anata baka." Ranma growled lowly at that.

**Insanity's End?**

A Ranma ½ FanFic by Ranma-kun

**Legal Disclaimer:**

The Ranma ½ cast are property of Takahashi Rumiko-sensei, Kitty, Shogakukan, Viz, and some other companies, and are used for entertainment purposes only. I'll return them… Wonder if they'll be upset if I keep Akane.

Marjoram, of course, is copyright by LeaCarter.

**Note:**

I recommend reading "Too Many Tears…" by LeaCarter/Mari-chan, first. The following scene is a what-if to that darkfic's storyline.

Chapter 3: Insanity… and other daily Happenings

He appeared on their way to school.

Akane and Ranma were running together on top of the fence, when suddenly a figure jumped down from a roof and let loose a hail of lightning bolts toward Ranma. The two dodged down to the street.

"Akane!" Ranma shot her a look, and saw she was already retreating several meters. When he was sure she was a save distance away, Ranma turned on his attacker and asked, "Yes? Can I help you?" His opponent didn't mind giving an answer as he let loose another attack.

Ranma easily deflected the energy, while Akane just rolled her eyes. That just HADto be happening; _Two weeks of relative peace, that's a new record!_ she thought sarcastically.

"C'mon, Ranma! We're gonna be late again!"

Ranma gave her a wry grin: "Oh? Thanks for worryin'!"

Akane smiled back, "Sure I am worrying. So, hurry up, ok?" She started. "Ranma!! Eyes straight!"

Ranma deflected the blast. "Hey! Could ya at least tell me WHY you wanna kill me!?"

"YOU have killed my son!" cried the attacker, his voice full of hatred. "I am Marjoram, father to Saffron, king of the Phoenix people, and because of YOU I had to retake guardianship over him! Do you know how hard that is!!"

Ranma opened his mouth wanting to retort, but Marjoram jumped up, somersaulted over Ranma's head, landed behind the surprised Akane, and took her with him into the air. He brutally held her before himself, and touched one of his razor-sharp talons to her throat, letting a little blood trickle down the blade. Akane gasped. "Maybe it would be better to let you suffer instead of die..."

"No!!" Ranma charged toward them. "Akane!"

"Ranma, do--"

"Be quiet, stupid girl!" hissed Marjoram, and made a quick movement to the right...

...but slashed only air, since Akane had already freed herself. _What th--_ His thoughts were interrupted by a knee to the groin.

"Akane! Ki!" called Ranma, already glowing like a bulb. When she was beside him, Akane turned in a flash, and built up her ki as well, forming a little sphere of fiery red between her open palms.

Ranma held his palms close to Akane's. His ki combining with hers formed a brilliant purple ball.

"NOOOOOO!!" Feeling the tremendous power building, Marjoram did the only thing to maybe save him; sparks started leaping between his hands and a ball of lightning formed, rapidly growing in size.

"Now!" Ranma and Akane both gave a push and released their control of the ki gathered between their outstretched palms. The blast flashed for a moment, racing toward the birdman in the next. Marjoram, desperate to block or deflect it, fired his lightning ball into it...

For but a second a sphere of brilliant white light expanded in absolute silence. The next, a tremendous explosion shook the sleepy suburb of Nerima. After seeing the huge pillar of light, however, most people went back to their business; this was Nerima, after all!

"Ow." Akane was a little dazed. "That sure was more than intended, ne, Ranma? ...Ranma?" Akane looked around.

She found Ranma behind her, unmoving. The wall he had hit was thoroughly shattered.

Shock immediately replaced daze. "Ranma!"

Akane knelt down beside him and cradled him in her arms, tears forming. "Oh, Ranma, you're so stupid! Why did you do that?! Come on, wake up! Please!!" She buried her face in his hair.

Coughing, Ranma came to again, wondering where he was.

"Ow. Heavy... explosion." he added, realising where he was.

"Baka." Akane hugged Ranma.

"Akane!! L-loosen up! You're crushing me!" Ranma was still very much dazed, but he wanted Akane to smile... "If your friends'd see you like this..."

"Anything but that." Wiping the tears away, Akane snickered. "They'd figure out I'm a girl."

"And that, we don't want 'em to know." Ranma joked.

Their snickering turned to laughing, breaking the strain of battle, and loosening them up. Akane looked at her watch.

"Kuso! We're gonna be late!"

"Then hurry up, slowpoke!" cried Ranma, already having gained 100 meters on her.

"Hey, unfair!" Akane raced off after him.

* * *

"Stand in the hall."

There they stood again, Ranma and Akane: in the hall, water buckets in hands. Not that this would have been a rare sight...

"Do you remember, Ranma?"

"Hm?"

"The day after we got to know each other and found out about the engagement, we had to stand here for the first time."

"Yeah, what a mess. First day in school, standing in the hall, and my only friend mad at me."

"Well, I wasn't really mad at you, I just..." Akane was searching for the right words, "I just got upset with you."

"Why?"

"You really wanna know, don't you?"

Misinterpreting the gleam in Akane's eyes, Ranma eagerly nodded. "Yeah, please." The next instant he was drenched.

"Nani sunde!?" asked the buxom red-head angrily.

"I was upset with at you for refusing to fight me, since I am _just a weak girl_. And so I threatened you with my bucket, asking if you'd fight me as a girl."

"Well..." Ranma shrugged his shoulders. "Then, no. Now..." The petite girl charged forward, raining blow after blow down on her wife. Akane built up her defenses in an instant, and a silent dance started.

Fighting, the combatants lost all sense of time, just attacking and defending; until...

"Ran-chan?!"

Ranma looked to the side to see Ukyō standing in the door to the classroom. That little distraction lost him the fight, Akane embedding him into the far wall of the neighbour classroom.

"Ranma. You ok?" Akane looked through the hole into the classroom. Seeing an angry teacher look back at her, she winced. "Oops... Sorry."

* * *

"So, what's with you two?" Ukyō sat opposite Ranma and Akane on the school's roof, directly above the clock.

"Uh, Ukyō... I... I mean, we..." started Akane.

"What's there to stutter, sugar!?" Initially, Ukyō sounded really mad, but she quickly got a hold of herself, visibly cooling down. "You two are... together now, aren't you?" It was an honest question, neither angry nor sad, both of which surprised Ranma.

"Uh... Yes, Ukyō." Akane felt sorry for her rival. Ranma aside, she was her friend.

Ukyō sighed, partly in resignation, partly in relief. "Thought so." This made Akane blink.

Rolling onto her knees, and bowing deeply, Ukyō sighed again. "Saotome Ranma-san. Tendō Akane-san. I know that you can by no means forgive what I did; nonetheless I will ask you: will you consent to still be my friends?"

"Ucchan, I... I..."

"I think, Ranma and I have already forgiven you, even if it may not seem this way." Akane took Ukyō's shoulders and hauled her up into a sitting position, "But, you know, that's Saotome now." she added with a slight grin.

"Hai." Ukyō smiled back at her. Then, realization struck. "Nani?!"

"Sshhht!!" Akane clamped a hand over Ukyō's mouth. "Yes. But nobody needs to know that right now."

"But... But, how? When?"

"As far as we know, some time two weeks ago. But we aren't too sure, we just found out ourselves yesterday." Akane shrugged her shoulders.

The chef snorted, and then broke down into laughter. "WAA hahahahaha!! That's just hilarious! Instead of always trying, they did it for once! Wahahahahaha!" She collapsed, beating on the floor with one hand, holding her stomach with the other. Ranma and Akane were left to wonder.

"Now, Ukyō: You cannot tell anyone abou--" Akane was interrupted by somebody grabbing her collar from behind.

"You're _sooo_ coming with us, Missie!" said an angry Sayuri, dragging the protesting girl off the roof.

"Uh, Ran-chan?" Ukyō looked at the amused-looking youth desperately. "Do you forgive me, too?"

Ranma turned to her, and for the fraction of a second his face seemed to be made of stone. It quickly softened, however, and he smiled at her. "Of course. Just..."

"Anything!" Ukyō was so happy.

"Don't blame Akane for it, please." Ranma looked at her seriously. "She doesn't have anything to do with the unsettled things between the two of us."

"Well..." Ukyō twiddled her fingers, "Thinking about it, the only thing between us was settled as soon as I found out you never really knew about me – I mean, about me being a girl."

"That's still no excuse." answered Ranma. "C'mon, tell me. There must be something for me to do to repay you; I mean, m'old man still took the yattai!"

"Okay, if you insist..." Ukyō's eyes started gleeming mischievously, "I could use a waitress every other weekend!"

Ranma fell over backwards.

* * *

"So!" Sayuri let go of Akane, making sure she and Yuka were between her and the only door to their classroom. "What's going on between you and Ranma?"

"Um, well..."

"C'mon, spit it out!!" Yuka was starting to lose her nerve, too.

Akane's eyes flashed. "You really wanna know?" With a wry grin, she took two steps backward, hunching her shoulders in what seemed to be a martial arts stance.

Sayuri crossed her arms, trying to look more confident than she felt. "Of course!"

"Then meet me after school ends, and we'll go to my place!" With that, Akane somersaulted backwards out of the window.

"Did you... see that?" asked Yuka, gaping.

"H-hai." Sayuri was far too perplexed to say anything more.

* * *

"Thank you, Ran-chan." Ukyō hugged her ex-fiancé. "Thank you for remaining my friend. I love you, but I know now you won't feel like that, ever. No, please let me finish." She raised a hand to stop Ranma's reply, then leaned forward and kissed him on the lips. Ranma froze.

Ukyō slowly rose to her feet. "Saotome Ranma, I hereby release you from the engagement made between us by consent of our fathers." A slight smile crossed her lips. "Best friends it is." With that she took her leave, closing her past life like she did the door to the stairway.

* * *

"So, she kissed you?" asked Akane, walking beside Ranma, who had his hands – still holding his school bag – behind his head. Yuka and Sayuri were keeping well clear of the couple; just for privacy, of course!

"Uh, yeah. She did." Ranma's expression turned mischievous. "Why? Jealous?" The five followers quickly fell back a few more paces.

"Maybe." Akane matched Ranma's pose, "But, really, why should I care?"

"Eh?!" Ranma stopped dead in his tracks. "What do ya wanna say!?" he demanded. Akane just laughed him in the face, then waved him off with one hand.

"Come on, I meant that I don't care because I trust you. Don't be mad, ok?" She batted her eyelashes, looking beyond cute.

The sound of loud laughter ruined the moment.

Looking back, Ranma and Akane saw Yuka and Sayuri, collapsed and in riots of laughter. Ukyō, for her part, hung head-down from a tree, having tripped in laughter. Embarrassedly, the pair turned back around and stiffly walked away.

* * *

"Tadaima!" After announcing themselves and leading Yuka and Sayuri upstairs, Akane turned to Ranma: "You go read a manga or something. We've got some girl-stuff to talk about."

"Hey, isn't Ranma half-girl?" Sayuri jotted in, earning herself a death-glare.

"Well, yes..." Akane poked him in the rips, "but you don't count here, buster!" Chuckling, she lead her friends to her room and opened the door...

"Spartan equipment." commented Yuka, looking over the shocked girl's shoulder into a room void of everything but the bed.

Sayuri inspected the door, only a light spot telling of the white duck once hanging there. "Burglars are kinda quick nowadays."

"Yep. Even the furniture's gone. I'd call this a good piece of work." agreed Yuka.

Giving her two friends the evil eye, Akane turned to see Ranma staring at the door to his room. "Ranma? Dōka shita nō?" She went back to look after him.

Ranma just pointed at the door. Surprisingly enough, it _was_ a door, not the fusuma Akane clearly remembered from this morning.

"Eh?" Akane squinted her eyes at the sign; a wooden yin-yang bearing the inscription "Ranma & Akane". Her throat tightening, she grabbed the door handle, and pushed it down...

"NANI?!" In the middle of the room there stood a big four-poster bed and Akane's desk was standing to the side of the room. Akane's personal items looked a little out of place, lying on the desk and chair. _What's going on here?! Wh--_

A gasp interrupted her train of thought, and she turned just in time to catch the fainting Ranma.

"This is new." A flash of light followed the statement.

"Onē-chan, what's with that?" demanded Akane, unceremoniously dragging the comatose youth into the room and dropping him onto the bed. "This is your doing, isn't it!?"

Ranma opened his eyes and stood up, holding his head and confusedly looking around.

"Well..." Nabiki crossed her arms, a smile playing about her lips. "I just thought that since you two are married..." She shrugged her shoulders.

Ranma fainted again, this time hitting the floor with a loud "bonk".

"Mō! Baka." Akane quickly returned her attention back to her sister. Doing so, she saw her friends staring at her wide-eyed, and she winced. _Whoops!_

"And, since you two are sleeping together, anyway..." Definitely grinning now, Nabiki held up both her hands in a "don't know" gesture.

"NANI?!" Yuka and Sayuri, already beyond wonder, couldn't stop blinking at their friend.

"Oh! Hehe..." Akane coffed nervously, trying to decide where to look.

"See it as a kind of wedding present." Her elder sister smirked at Akane's obvious discomfort.

Akane gritted her teeth.

"Oh man." a moan came from the floor. "What a dream..." Ranma sat up, suddenly looking into two wide pairs of eyes. Seeing Yuka and Sayuri examine him up and down, he moaned again. "God, it wasn't a dream. And they really know!" He let himself fall back.

"Yuka! Sayuri!" snapped an angry Akane.

"Yes, ma'am!" The called-upons shot up, standing straight.

A tiny hint of a smile crossed Akane's lips. "Let's go to my..." She frowned. "My old room... before I brain my sister!" Growling, she stomped off.

* * *

More or less reading the manga he was looking into, Ranma balanced upside down on his head, thinking about things...

_It's difficult to realize we're married now. What with no ceremony and all. Anyway, it makes things so much more complicated... _He looked up, baffled._ ...or maybe not! Truth be told, where's the difference to before? _He smirked. _'cept in where we sleep, o' course!_

_Do I really want to be with Akane? Definitely! Do I want to marry her? No choice here, but, yes! I do. Would I--_ Sayuri storming into the room disrupted his chain of thought. "Huh?" He let himself fall to the side.

"Nani?!" The girl quickly backed the taller boy into a corner, her fierce expression totally betraying her wet eyes.

"Saotome Ranma!" she started. Then, taking a deep breath, Sayuri bowed to him. "Please, do always take good care of your wife... our friend, Akane." With that she turned and fled the room, and down the stairs. Ranma heard her and Yuka say their goodbyes, and then they were gone.

"What was that all about?" he asked himself aloud.

"Ranma?" Akane stood in the doorway, looking thoroughly winded. "Mind a little spar? I've got to get my head clear."

"Uh, sure." Ranma shoved his thoughts aside, following his wife downstairs to the dōjō.

* * *

"Nightmare?"

"Uh-humm." Akane nodded her head, and then gulped down a little water.

"What about?" Ranma sat down beside her on the engawa outside the dōjō.

"Jusendō. In my dreams I am back there. Drowning, saving you, being drained and shrinking... and dying."

Ranma gasped. A long silence followed.

"Dying?" Ranma's throat was dry. "In your dream?"

Akane shook her head. "Not only there."

"You... were..." Ranma licked his lips, feeling more than just unwell, "...dead?"

Akane nodded once. "More than that. I stood there beside you, as you held my body in your arms. I called your name, cried it even; but you..." She swallowed hard. "...wouldn't hear me." Akane looked down, not wanting Ranma to see her tears.

"Shhh." Ranma took her in his arms, kissing her head. "But you came back, so it's okay. Right?"

Akane closed her eyes, calming down. "Hai. It is."

Somewhere, a camera clicked, and a shadow disappeared.

* * *

Akane sat at her desk, that for the first time in her life was standing in another room. Hers and Ranma's.

_Why is everything so complicated? Our parents, our friends, the fiancées... _Sigh! _Why can't it just be "I love you, and you love me"?_

She started to tear at her hair. _Aw, kuso, why can't all those people stay out of our life!? _The answer was easy: _Because they just can't. _Akane sighed again. _At least we're married now; that handles the fiancées! But our fathers will still be trying to control our life. They won't back down before I am pregnant, I'm sure of that..._

Akane tore at her hair again. _AH, what use is all this thinking, if I don't have any ideas to change our luck!?_ She stood up, sighing. Maybe a bath would help.

* * *

Ranma was doing some slow kata in the garden, thinking about his new life:

_Akane died. What if she had never woken up again? What would I do? I don't know._

_Hell, I don't even know what happened after I saw Akane disappear! The next thing I remember was that guide-guy taking her clothes from my hands... _His vision started to blur,_ ...and loss. _He sniffed quietly in mid-kata._ Gods, what would I do? I could never live with that – being responsible for her death – and yet I couldn't die! It would only make her sad._

_I rea-- _Ranma tripped and fell. A bare second later, he emerged from the pond, female, wet and grumbling.

_Great! Just great!! I think about that clumsy tomboy, and I fall into the pond! _A slight smile darted across his lips. _So uncute!_

"Ranma! Daijobu ka?" Kasumi was standing on the porch. Ranma stumbling into the pond rarely happened when he was alone. That left her worried.

"Nah. Just been thinkin' too much. Gotta do that somewhere other than trainin'!"

"Oh? Then I guess you should take a bath. This might help with your thinking problem, too."

Ranma gawked. _Sarcasm? Kasumi?! _He looked a little closer. _Naaah._

"Thanks, Kasumi. I think I'll take you up on that offer. Tata." With that, the red-head went into the house.

"I am happy that I could help." answered the eldest Tendō quietly.

* * *

_This really is some mess I got us into! _Akane was sitting on one of the stools, silently scrubbing herself. _How can I repair the damage I did? Can I ever repair it? And how little of it is really other people's fault? _She sighed. _To tell the truth, hadn't I agreed to the wedding, none of this might have happened... I just don't know if this is a good or a bad thing!_

Pondering, she turned to washing her hair. _Well, it definitely is a good thing we finally did it. _A tiny smile crept across Akane's lips. _As for the rest... Ranma training me sure is a nice change of things, and to know about... _Her smile vanished, _...Ryōga! How could he!! Why did he do this to me!? Why didn't I ever notice!? _Akane was getting angry with herself.

So absorbed into her thoughts, she missed somebody closing the changing room's door.

* * *

_Really! _Onna-Ranma turned around, stripped down and, without a single glance at the hamper, discarded her clothes. _I should know better'n think about my problems in training! Oh, well... _He turned to the fusuma, ..._now I got the time ta think about it. _...and opened it.

His mind froze.

* * *

Akane rinsed herself off, doing so twice to get all the soap out of her hair. _I really wonder how I managed that in the past. _Being done, she stood up, took the stool and turned around in order to put it into it's place... and looked across the room right into Ranma's eyes! She froze.

First thing she thought: _Ranma no hentai! I am in the bath and he-- _When she crushed the stool, Akane mind unfroze. _Stop!! Think! If he had done so on purpose, wouldn't he do something?! _In shock, she dropped the remains of the stool. _Oh my god, what was I thinking again?! _Then she took her first real look at Ranma...

The redhead was standing there in the doorway, neither able to unlock her eyes from Akane's, nor able to speak. Akane smiled.

_Oh well... _She made a deliberate step forward. That same instant, Ranma took one step backwards. _Okay – his brain's still out of order, it seems. _Akane vanished.

Ranma's brain was still busy rebooting, so he couldn't really react. After only two more backward steps, he was being thrown into the furo.

"Wah!" Ranma emerged from the waters, male and gasping for air. Seeing Akane approach him, he short-circuited: "Wait, I can explain! I--" Akane kissing him on the lips stopped him short.

"Ranma. What do you think you're doing?" Akane was speaking indifferently, letting no emotion resonate in her voice.

"Uh, I... Kasumi..." The pigtailed youth was totally helpless.

_This is starting to unsettle me... Everything that happens between the two of us, seems to somehow be connected to dear eldest sister. "_Don't worry, Ranma. I won't hit you."

That got her his full attention. "Huh?" _Is she gonna finish me instead?_

"No. And do you know, why?" Ranma shook his head. "Because we're married, you dummy! It doesn't matter anymore!" Akane laughed out loud at Ranma's brainless look. "Oh, come on! Get used to it, it's likely to happen a lot more often in the future, since Kasumi will no longer watch for it."

"Uh, it's just that..." Ranma poked the tips of his index fingers together. "It's hard to get used to." he whispered.

"Don't tell me!" laughed Akane. Then she sobered. "Got some room for me in there?"

"Huh? Oh!" Ranma turned a little pink, and moved closer to the other edge of the tub.

"So..." said Akane, leaning against Ranma, "Why were you a girl?"

"I, uh... tripped into the pond." he admitted. "Too busy thinkin' ta notice."

"Um, sensei? Didn't you tell me to think as little as possible when I train or fight?" Akane asked with a mischievous grin.

"Aw, c'mon, it's your fault I couldn't concentrate!" Ranma was miffed.

"Oh!? Why d--" Akane stopped, taking her time to calm down. "Ranma, what do you mean?" she asked finally. Ranma winced.

"Sorry, didn't mean to insult ya. I... I was thinkin' 'bout us – how life turned out to be for us. You an' me bein' – y'know."

"Well..." Akane nodded her head, "I can understand that. I was thinking about the same things just before you came in." She turned a slight shade of pink.

"Oh?" Ranma smiled a little.

Akane embraced her husband, and the pair sat there in silence for a little while, soaking in the furo.

A flash of light ended the romantic feelings, and Akane's head snapped upward. "Nabiki!" To her surprise, she couldn't see anybody in the bathroom, except herself and Ranma.

* * *

"Happōsai, you will pay for what you have done to me." A youth in chinese outfits stopped just outside of Nerima. "This time I will get you!"

Hearing the boy's insane laughter, people quickly left the scene.

* * *

"While I am happy for the two of you..." Nodoka frowned at Akane, "I will have a word with that _husband_ of mine." Her face hardened, but then quickly softened. "Why did you summon me, my dear?"

"Actually, Saotome no okā-sama..." began Akane, "What you just mentioned is exactly what I wanted to talk to you about. While Ranma and I are content with being married, we would have preferred it to have been of our own decision, not our fathers'.

Nodoka's frown returned and deepened, and she nodded slowly. "I understand, Akane-chan. You want to exact revenge, but in a fashion as to never let them forget." Her eyes started burning with a holy fire.

"Yes." Akane could tell Nodoka was being earnest. "That's exactly what I meant."

"Don't worry, my dear, we will come up with the right plan when the time is nigh." The aristocratic woman sipped her tea. "Oh, I almost forgot..." She reached into her kimono, pulling out a scroll. Handing Akane the scroll, she said: "There is something else that needs to be taken care of."

Akane blinked, and took the scroll. Unrolling it, her eyes widened shortly, then quickly narrowed.

"Okā-sama..." she began with great restraint, "What do you suppose I should do with this?"

"Why, hold Ranma to his oath, tha--"

"Okā-sama!" The edge in Akane's voice was now unmistakable. Nodoka cringed seeing Akane's wild expression. "Do you really think I would... that I _COULD _hold Ranma – the man I love – to a contract he signed as a toddler!?"

Akane's harsh words hitting a sore spot, Nodoka lowered her head and stared down into her lap.

Akane's anger shot forth, bursting into flames around her. "How you are able to even _THINK_ of doing such harm to your only child, is beyond me! _I _, for my part,definitely won't do something like that to him.

Tears of hurt standing in her eyes, Akane continued. "However, I will take the scroll, if for no other reason than to keep anyone from hurting my man." She stood up, and started for the door.

Stopping halfway through the doorway, the girl half-turned her head: "I am sorry for yelling at you, Okā-sama, but I will stop at _nothing_ to ensure my Ranma's safety." She then left the main room.

Nodoka looked after her, showing the tears in her eyes. "I am so proud of you, my son." she whispered. "...and I am sorry."

* * *

Opening the door to their room, Akane puzzled as to why Ranma cringed away from her. She winced upon realizing that she must have been sporting a VERY grim expression, and calmed herself, letting her aura dissipate.

"I'm sorry, Ranma." she said softly. "I'm not angry at you. I am angry at..." her voice tightened a little, "your mother."

"Um, ah..." stuttered Ranma, not really being less nervous, "Why?"

"Because of this!" Akane held up the scroll she was still clenching her fist around.

"Uh, what is that?" asked the pig-tailed youth curiously.

Akane wordlessly unrolled the scroll for her husband to read. When Ranma turned pale as a ghost, she rolled it up again.

"I..." croaked Ranma, then cleared his throat. "I intend ta keep to this oath, if that's what ya mean."

"Don't you DARE!!" Akane was furious with him for even thinking such a thing. A decision having been made, she held the scroll up in her open palm. It was taken afloat in a fiery sphere, and then incinerated. The sphere flickered out of existence and Akane dropped her hand to her side.

"Ranma..." she started softly, "How many times do I have to tell you? You're Ranma, the man I gave my heart. Nothing in the world could make me think you're unmanly. I like you just the way you are."

"Thank you." Ranma stood up and embraced Akane tightly, a tear escaping his eyes. "Thank you so much..."

* * *

"Where has that old geezer vanished to!?" The young chinese man was furious. He had now searched almost every spot in this damn town, and still could not find Happōsai. "Maybe _he_ knows." He jumped into the canal.

* * *

"Ranma no baka!" Akane gave her husband a slap that embedded him into the wall fence over the street, and stormed out of the dōjō.

Ranma wheezed "Kawaiikunai..." and fell face-forward into the neighbours' garden.

* * *

Angrily plopping down onto her chair, Akane repeated the word "baka" over and over.

"Mō! Why does he keep teasing me?" She deflated a little. "Because he doesn't think, before he talks. Still..." A single tear made its way down her cheek, "It hurts so damn much, hearing him say those things."

Still seething there five minutes later, Akane suddenly heard a roar, followed by a loud crash. "Ranma!" Before she had even thought about it, she was already on the roof.

In the courtyard by the pond stood Beast-Tarō, holding Ranma in one of his monstrous pranks and roaring something.

"Oi, pansuto-yarō!" Angered by this insult, the minotaur-looking creature turned just in time to sniff up a ki blast. Reeling from the blow, he dropped Ranma, who quickly ran up to Akane.

"Stay out of this, 'kane." Ranma turned to confront the chinese Monstrosity.

Akane embedding his face into the ground came totally unexpected.

"Baka yarō! How can you be so- so... aochh!" The girl screamed out her frustration.

"OW!" Pulling his head out of the earth, Ranma retorted: "That's my fight! It's none of yer business!!"

"Oh, now I'm just a millstone around mister's neck, huh!? Who was it that saved your sorry behind just a moment ago?!"

Being a little perplexed, Pansuto-Tarō let out an asking grunt. Seeing that they were still bickering away and ignoring him, he asked a little louder.

"What!?" demanded Ranma and Akane simultaneously.

Tarō roared something that sounded rather like 'Happōsai'.

"Dunno. Panty-raid, I guess. Now buzz off!" Fire shot forth from Ranma and Akane's hands, sending the man-turned-beast flying on a steep trajectory.

Turning his attention back to his wife, Ranma looked rather sheepish. "I'm sorry, 'kane. I didn't mean to insult ya. I--" A finger poked him into the chest, effectively shoving him into the pond. "Hey!"

Akane laughed, her anger blowing away. "Baka." She leaned down to try and pull Ranma out, but Ranma had other intentions, pulling _her_ into the pond. "Uaaahh!" She splashed down noisily.

"Akane, I'm really sorry 'bout everything I said." Ranma let his head hang.

"'s alright, Ranma." Akane grinned him right into the face. "Just..." She turned a little serious, "It really hurts, when you call me names."

"I'm so sorry, Akane." The boy-turned-girl cuddled her to him, and continued: "I'll make it up to you, I swear." He sweatdropped at seeing his wife grin.

"Oh, I am sure you will." The girl grabbed her currently female husband's behind firmly.

The redhead gasped, then pushed Akane away by her shoulders. „I'm sorry, but--!" Ranma trailed off.

„Ranma, what is it?"

„I... It's just... Akane, you keep callin' me a perv, and now yer grabbin' my ass? I--" The buxom girl broke off again, looking frightened and ready to bolt.

„Ranma..." Akane grabbed her husband by the shoulders, and lead him into the house and up to their room, „I wasn't trying to hit on you as a girl. I just... you're Ranma, nobody else." She sighed, sitting down on the bed's edge, and guiding him down beside her. „Look, I love you, and even when you look like this, you're still you."

„B-But I'm a GIRL!!" Ranma screeched.

„Shh." Akane was suddenly glad Nabiki had had the room soundproofed. „Ranma, what does it take for you to believe me?"

Onna-Ranma remained silent, finding her lap very interesting at the moment.

_I'm not sure this is the right moment, but here goes... _Akane took a deep breath.

„I want to make love to you."

„What?" Ranma looked up. „Oh." He looked down again. „Be right back." The red-head started to get up...

...but was stopped by her wife's hand on her forearm. „Huh?"

„No, Ranma." The raven-haired girl shook her head. „I want to make love to you like this."

„Yo... bu... NO!!" Ranma tried to come free, starting to wail. „NO, you shouldn't have ta do that!" Finally struggling free, he fled to the corner of the room, cowering and shaking. „N-nobody should be forced ta do that..."

„Ranma..." Akane knelt down beside him, cradling the crying girl in her lap. She was shocked at how suddenly her husband had broken apart. _All I wanted was to make love to him, and now I'm suggesting doing it girl to girl... _Her mind was racing to grasp everything that had happened. Finally, however...

„I'm sorry, Ranma." A tear fell onto Ranma's face, making him blink. „I-I didn't mean that stuff I said about you being a hentai. I j-just took it out on you that I feel a-attracted to you even when you're a girl." She too started sobbing. „Plea-hease don't hate me, Ranma!" She buried her face in the other girl's bangs.

A small grin tucked one corner of Ranma's mouth slightly up. „Heh. We're both idiots."

Akane snorted into his bangs, and then giggled. „You could say that." She got up, leading Ranma back to the bed and sitting down on it. „A matching pair, if you ask me."

„Um, Akane..." Ranma twiddled his fingers.

„It's okay, Ranma. I'm sorry I pushed you." Akane smiled a warm smile, making his heart stop for a moment.

„Uh, actually..." Turning beet-red in the face, the red-headed girl inspected her own hands. „I wouldn't mind finding out – if you want, that is."

Akane's smile threatened to challenge the sun when she answered: „I don't mind." She blushed herself. „I've been curious since I fell in love with you." Sigh! „I'm really nervous, though."

„Me too."

Slowly leaning toward each other, Ranma and Akane gingerly touched their lips together.

Very self-conscious at first, but quickly growing passionate in their doing, they roamed each other's backs...

* * *

_Where the hell am I now?_ Ryōga was lost like always. Grabbing a passer-by, he asked: "Where am I?"

"Say, Ryōga..." Daisuke looked at him flat-eyed, "How come you always pick _me_ out of the crowd?"

"Uh... Daisuke?" Realization dawning on him, Ryōga let go of the scholar. "So I guess this is Fūrinkan-kōkō?"

"Yup, right. An' you're standing in the baseball lot." When Daisuke went off, the lost boy heard him say something about sprinklers...

"Dais-kun, your change!" Ukyō stopped right before the water fountains. "Oh, great." Looking down in dismay, she saw a black piglet. "How did you get here, P-chan?" Being held close to the girls chest, Ryōga missed her saying: "Let's go find Akane. She'll be glad ta have ya back." Instead, he snuggled up, enjoying the ride.

* * *

"Really?" Akane playfully poked her husband in the ribs. "Then how come she tried to kill you, in the first place, hm?"

"I, uh..." Ranma didn't quite know how to answer this one.

"'kane-kun!" Ukyō entered the classroom, and Ranma spit his drink in Hiroshi's face.

Akane turned around. When she saw what her friend was holding, the homeroom suddenly went dark, her aura sucking up all the light. "Ry-ō-ga."

Hearing the low, yet thundering, expression of his name, the man-turned-pig turned around in terror. Wriggling out of Ukyō's grasp, he ran as fast as his hoofs would take him, Akane following closely behind.

"What's with her?" Ukyō pointed at the shroud of black light quickly fading out of sight.

"Um, uh... Dunno." Ranma scratched the back of his head nervously.

* * *

"Sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry..." Ryōga knelt before Akane, sporting at least two dozen lumps.

"Tell me one good cause not to finish you off!" Standing over the eternally lost boy, the angel of vengeance had taken the form of Akane, her eyes glowing with fiery anger.

"I-I'm sorry, I didn't mean to... to..." Ryōga's mind shut down.

Seeing the boy before her stare at her in pure terror, Akane powered down. _Oh my god, I'm doing it again!_ Her face was locked in disgust at herself. "Stand up, Ryōga. I won't hurt you." Seeing as he didn't react, she grabbed both of his shoulders and shook him wildly.

Ryōga's head lolled backwards.

"Just great." She dropped the lifeless body and stomped off.

When he came to ten minutes later, Ryōga wrote a letter and then wandered off in search of a mailbox.

* * *

Evening. Tendō-ke.

"So, what did ya want ta tell me that you couldn't at school?" Ukyō sat in the main room, Ranma and Akane sitting opposite her, near the engawa.

"Well, you see..." started Akane. A splash in the pond and squealing noises interrupted her. "Ranma, would you kindly take care of him?" Laying two fingers to her forehead, she hooked a thumb at the black piglet. "And bring him with you, afterwards."

"I'm sorry, but..." Ukyō was cut off by Akane raising her hand.

"So am I, but seeing as our main subject accidentally joined us, we'll have to wait a little." The girl motioned for her friend to take a cookie. "Don't sweat it, I didn't make them." She smilingly shrugged at Ukyō's sheepish grin.

Shortly thereafter, Ranma came in with a wet Ryōga.

"I don't understand. Ranma, where's P-chan?" Seeing Ryōga look down and Akane bury her face in her hand, Ukyō asked: "What?"

Akane turned to face Ryōga: "Do you want to tell her, or should I?"

The lost boy solemnly shook his head and knelt down. Bowing to Ukyō, he said: "I am sorry, but _I_ am P-chan."

After a while of blankly staring into the room, Ukyō jumped up, screamed "HENTAI!", and whacked Ryōga over the head with her spatula.

"Hey, look who's talking!" Ryōga jumped up and knocked her spatula out of her hand.

"Oh yeah!? Well, at least I don't sleep in other peoples' beds!"

While those two were quarreling, Ranma and Akane threw each other knowing glances. Somehow, these arguments were looking much too familiar.

Meanwhile, Ukyō had jumped Ryōga, and they were effectively continuing their fight in the yard.

"Should we separate them?" Akane looked at her husband. He looked back at her.

"Nah."

Laughing, they just sat and watched.

* * *

Later that evening. Tendō-dōjō.

Onna-Ranma was angrily breaking bricks row by row.

"Ranma?" Akane came in and stared at her husbands back. _I've never seen him do THAT, before._

"Daijobu ka?"

"I'm fine." answered Ranma through gritted teeth, all-the-while breaking more bricks.

_Why is he so angry all of a sudden?_ Akane went around the female boy and looked at him. "Are you sure you're alright?"

"I said I'm fine!" Ranma's head snapped upward. "Don't you get that!?"

"Well, excuse me for caring!" Akane stamped her foot. "And now tell me what's bugging you!"

"Fine!! I'm having my period, okay!? Now leave me alone!" Ranma went back to smashing bricks.

"Uh..." Akane couldn't stop blinking. Recovering a minute later, she smiled at her husband, clasping her hands behind her back: "I'm sorry. Wanna spar?"

Ranma looked up, and his face softened. "Yeah, thanks." With that he went to the middle of the dōjō.

Akane followed. While bowing, she said: "But don't think I'll go easy on you just because you're not feeling well." She then charged in.

"I was hoping you'd say that, but I doubt it." the red-head said under her breath.

* * *

"So, why don't you change back, then?" Akane sat beside Ranma, using the towel around her neck to wipe her face. "After all, you have the choice."

Ranma grinned wistfully, wiping at his cheeks. "You wouldn't know, would you?" He then turned to face his wife: "Ya see, as long as I'm havin' my period, I can't change back."

"You mean, your curse locks up?"

"Yeah, that's how ya could put it." Smirkingly, he added: "Maybe I shoulda changed back after Ryōga splashed me." He then laughed a hollow laugh.

"Yeah, I guess so." Akane cuddled the buxom red-head. After a while, she stood up. "Come on, let's go to bed."

Ranma didn't move an inch. "You go ahead."

Akane stopped. "Oh no, you don't!" She stomped back to her husband and hauled him up by his pigtail. "And now let's go."

Ranma looked down. "But... But I--" A slap silenced him, and he looked at his wife, perplexed.

"Anyone home up there?" Akane started to smile, again. "Come on, we've slept together as girls even before we were married. "Hell, we..." She whispered into Ranma's ear, "did even worse than that." Seeing steam coming from his ears, she grinned impishly. "Now that's my Ranma."

Akane then dragged him off to the bathroom. "Come on, let's get cleaned up, first."

Ranma blushed.

* * *

"Ohohohohohoho!! So Ranma-sama has married that girl?" Kunō Kodachi read the report Sasuke had handed her.

"Yes, mistress. What will you be going to do with that information, if I may kindly ask?" The ninja bowed before her.

"Well, have my fun, of course." The young woman stood up. "I cannot _not_ express them my condolences." Letting out a sinister laugh, she entered her laboratory.

* * *

"Come on, Ranma, we're gonna be late." Akane raced out of the gate. Onna-Ranma followed closely behind, a slice of bread hanging from her mouth.

Catching up, he asked: "Why? It's not like we overslept or sumthin'."

"With you around, there's bound to be trouble." Smirking at her husband's pout, she continued: "Or would you say you're NO trouble-magnet?" With that, she jumped onto the fence.

Ranma faltered. "Well, no. I just figured it wouldn't happen before lunch." Saying so, he jumped up, too, racing his wife to school.

* * *

Making her breakfast-okonomiyaki, Ukyō hummed a happy tune.

Suddenly, both of her spatulas snapped in two.

"A bad omen." she whispered under her breath.

* * *

Ryōga stood before his tent, staring at the kettle that had just exploded into his face. _This can't be good._

* * *

Somewhere in Nerima's shopping district, a bicycle bell rang.

--

**Author's notes:**

Yeah, I know – but I couldn't resist the cliffhanger. :P

I'm not really good at this corny stuff, but Ranma's self-consciousness concerning his curse needed to be dealt with. The psychological background isn't a problem, it's letting the characters react to it is what makes me feel queasy. Well, just felt like tellin' ya.

2008-05-18: Major Spellcheck Update. RTF keeps bustin' my formatting, though, so don't blame me. FanFictionDotNet-readers, you're lucky the site supports ODT. The totally unf...ed version, however, is my own PDFs, so I ain't makin' any promises.

I haven't had any pre-readers for this chapter, so please show mercy.

As always, please send C&C to . Please don't send me flames – I've got central heating!

No chapter announcement this time – half of it is still outlined on solid paper. °

Ja ne,

Ranma-sensei


End file.
